Reading is key to your child’s development. Research has shown that regular reading by children encourages empathy in children, improves sleep and widens a child’s vocabulary and comprehension skills. Basically, reading regularly can only help your child in their development.
However, it can sometimes be a tricky task to get your child to sit down and read. With a world of adventures outside, and endless entertainment inside, why would they want to sit down and read a book?
There are certain tricks you can use to encourage your children to read more – helpfully outlined below!
Time Management
If your child is one who definitely does not want to read, it can be helpful to manage this annoyance by setting a time limit to it. Say that they only have to read for half an hour, and stick to this promise. Maybe they only have to do reading every other day, or for those who really don’t want to read, once a week.
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Maybe, if your child really hates reading, use the reading time to replace something else they hate more – like laying the table. If your child sees reading as a way to get out of doing something they dislike, they may think of it more favourably.
Read With Them
Some children will be at an age where you must read with them. If they are learning, or struggle with pronunciation, sitting with them to help is a necessity. But even children who can read well can benefit from you sitting and reading with them.
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Reading will likely appear a more fun activity if it involves their mum or dad doing funny voices for all the characters. Your child can still read along as you read aloud, sharpening both their visual and aural skills.
Even if you aren’t reading to them, it can really help a child to stay concentrated on reading if you are also in the room reading. Children learn from watching their parents: if you present to them that reading is a good habit, they are likely to mimic you.
Fun Books
Naturally, children are going to be more engaged if the reading material is more interesting. Look for popular children’s books for your child’s age range. If they are popular, it likely means they will go down well with your child!
A good way to get your kids to enjoy the book they are reading is to use a personalised children’s book. By seeing themselves in the book, they can connect better with the story and the obstacles.
When it comes to reading, techniques to promote this habit will vary due to how willing your child is to sit down and read. By applying some of these suggestions, it is likely reading will appear less of a chore, and more of a fun activity. The benefits of reading are astronomical for developing children, so encouraging reading is so essential to promoting as parents. And who knows? Maybe you’ll start reading more too!
