Reading is one of the most basic, yet most useful life skills anyone can develop – amongst numerous other advantages, reading broadens knowledge, develops the imagination, and encourages critical thinking. But while fostering a love for reading from an early age will definitely benefit your child, the reality is that there are lots of distractions out there that keep kids and parents alike from cultivating this particular life skill. Don’t be daunted, though – whether your child takes to reading right away or needs a little more encouraging, there are lots of different techniques you can use to help:
Read With Them
This is perhaps the most basic option, as well as the most obvious. By reading to your child, you’re not just encouraging a love of stories and reading, you’re also turning the activity into an opportunity for quality time. You can start out doing all the reading, but as your child gains confidence, you can let them take over and read to you. Of course, this might entail listening to the same story dozens of times, but it’s definitely worth it to see your efforts paying off.
Be A Good Reading Role Model
There seems hardly any point in trying to encourage your child to read if you’re not going to set a good example by reading a lot yourself – children take cues from their parents, after all. Of course, even avid readers can feel too tired or too busy to make time for reading sometimes, in which case teaching your child to read can actually benefit you as well – when your child is old enough to read on their own, you can make some time each week (or even each day) for everyone in the family to catch up on their reading.
Make Reading Materials Accessible
If you already possess a deep and abiding love for reading, you probably already own a lot of books. And children who grow up in book-loving households are obviously more likely to become book-lovers themselves. Having said that, it’s important you don’t forget to account for reading levels and what your child may be interested in reading outside of what’s already available in your home. If you don’t have a lot of books for younger readers, put some time aside each week to visit the local library, browse through charity shops or secondhand bookshops, or even look through used book offers on Amazon to be delivered straight to your home – that way, you’ll be able to teach your kids that a love for reading doesn’t have to be expensive.
Don’t Impose Unnecessary Restrictions
It’s one thing to disallow books with adult themes until your kids are older, but if you’re concerned about messages, language, or other factors in your kids’ age-appropriate books, then it’s important to not just ban such books unnecessarily. Instead, stop and consider: what are your misgivings about the book? How did you find out about them? Can the book’s less favourable aspects be used as a learning opportunity? If so, you can always read the book yourself first before letting your child read it, or read it together, or just make it clear that your child can come to you with any questions they might have after reading the book. If you decide the book has no educational value, then do at least explain to your child that they’re welcome to read it when they’re much older. The important thing is not to present yourself as unreasonable or unwilling to explain your reasons – otherwise, there’s nothing to stop your kids secretly reading books that you feel are unsuitable.
Encourage Diversity
Your children will probably develop tastes and preferences quite early on, which is fine. But there’s a fine line to be toed here between encouraging them to choose what they find interesting and ensuring they don’t always pick the same type of story or refuse to progress beyond their current reading level. Introduce any new books or genres to them gradually and most importantly don’t decry their current favourites as childish or silly, whatever your own tastes may be. If you’re a fan of modern classics and your child likes comic books and fantasy novels, that’s absolutely fine – you could even make an agreement to try out each other’s favourites. Furthermore, if you’re a fan of printed books and your child prefers audiobooks or eBooks, it’s important to accommodate their tastes – people read in all sorts of different ways, now more than ever, and remember: it’s not important how your child reads, it’s if they read at all.
Don’t Glamourise Other Forms Of Entertainment
Let’s face it: it’s common for parents to offer increased TV- or game console-related privileges as rewards for good behaviour, or just as a means of keeping kids distracted. But if you play your cards right, you can present the television as just another form of entertainment – not preferable to books, but not much worse than them, either. After all, you could always try and get your kids watching adaptations of their favourite stories, which could lead to some interesting discussions about how the source material gets altered and reworked in the process.
Reward Progress
If you play your cards right, your kids will see reading as a reward in itself – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage them when they develop in certain ways as readers. You could make a sticker chart of how many books they read in a year. Or if you want to encourage wider reading, make a sticker chart divided into genre so they can see which types of books they haven’t read before and might be interested in delving into next. Alternately, you could come up with a list of the best books for a particular reading level, and reward your child for reading every book on the list. It all depends on what reading habits you think your child should cultivate.
What do you think of these tips? Have you tried them, or have you used other ways of getting your kids to read? Share your feedback and advice in the comments!
