SEVEN TIPS TO DEVELOP READING HABITS IN CHILDREN

“There are many little ways to enlarge a child’s world.  Love of books is the best of all.”

Jacqueline Kennedy

Maybe this is no news to you.

Books are transformative.

But how do you get your child to read a book? What can you do as a parent to inculcate reading habits in your children?

Here are our top seven tips to develop reading habits in children.

Choose the Right Book

Choose the book according to your child’s reading level and interest.
Along with looking for informative and good messages in a book, some of the common things to note are

• Rich illustrations
• A good storyline
• Topics relatable to them as their hobbies or other interests.

To find your child’s right book, try different genres including nonfiction and comics. Also, try classics and series books as well.

Read Aloud to Your Kids

If you are thinking about the first step to help your kid read, reading aloud books for bedtime stories is your way to begin.
We would suggest a few things in this.

• Don’t rush to complete the book or story. It is okay to leave the story unfinished. Each kid has a different attention span and so be patient.
• Create a bedtime ritual involving books. Let them fall asleep slowly and with books every night.
• Keep a stack of books ready at home and ask your child to choose to read aloud.
• Do not stop reading to your kids even if they start to read themselves. Reading aloud to even kids of age 10 and above is highly recommended to develop reading habits.

Make reading interactive and fun

When you are reading to kids, let it be an interactive session.

• Ask questions to them about the pictures they see in the book. Ask them about what they think happens next. Encourage them to ask questions.
• Choose books that encourage kids’ involvement with activities and fun.
• Watch with them animated films and short videos involving their favourite book characters like Disney movies.
• While reading books to kids, hold them and cuddle with them and mock voices according to the characters in the story to make it a fun and personal experience for them.

Create a Reading Atmosphere

Set a tone of reading at home.

• Build a small home library. Or create a reading nook for kids.
• Follow a bedtime reading routine as a family ritual.
• Whenever they ask you any doubts in general or from school, show them to refer to any book for answers. Help and encourage them to use dictionary often.
• Allow them to handle their books and feel like an owner of the books.
• Set yourself as an example as a reader. Let them see you skimming through newspapers, periodicals etc.

Relate Books to Real Life

One of the most effective ways to get our little people into reading is to connect what they read to real life. For example, if they are reading about animals, take them to a zoo. If they are reading about flowers, take them into gardening with you.

Make conversations with them about their books or reading subjects whenever you get the chance. It will keep them interested in their books.

Encourage to Read Everything Around

For children, reading is another step in their growth process. It’s like walking, talking etc where they are achieving a milestone to next level. So instead of encouraging to read books alone, encourage them to read everything around and thus help them to build that skill.

Some practical suggestions are here.

• Ask them to read signboard on road or shops or streets whenever possible.
• Ask them to read the menu in hotels to decide their order.
• Make them read letters, greeting cards or even invitation cards delivered to them or family.
• Help them read random advertisements on magazines or newspapers or even supermarket flyers.

You will find more options in your surroundings daily. Encourage them to read it and build a conversation around it.

It will eventually build confidence in them about their reading skills.

Gift them Books

The final tip is to reward kids with books whenever possible.

If you feel that your kid doesn’t appreciate books at all, and gifting them with it is a bad idea, try to sneak in a book as gift along with other gifts you get for him or her. If it’s their birthday or special day, gift them their favorite thing and a book.

Children value gifts more and the book as a gift will get treasured and used more.

That’s a wrap.

Which of these tips did you find the most useful?

Comment below.