While most young children enjoy listening to stories, older children may start to see it as a chore. This is due in part to competition from electronics for their free time. Reading is still important for development, learning, and the future.
Parents and schools often make kids read, but this doesn’t mean the kids will enjoy it. In fact, sometimes trying to get your child to read can cause arguments and make the child dislike reading.
Parents can help their children enjoy reading by doing things to facilitate positive book and reading experiences. This will help the child develop a love of books, reading, and learning.
Here are some tips on how to raise a child who genuinely loves to read.
Why Reading Is Important for Kids
Reading is very important for children’s development. It helps them in school and in their understanding of the world. Additionally, reading can improve mental health.
Academic Performance
“The best predictor of later reading success is the number of words a child knows by the end of kindergarten.” The ability to read and literacy skills are directly related. “If you read to your child, it will help them to be aware of letters, words, and how the alphabet works,” says Dr. Reisboard. “A child’s future success at reading is most accurately predicted by the number of words they know by the end of kindergarten.”
“Reading is the basis for success in so many other subjects,” says Claire Cameron, PhD, associate professor and director of the Early Childhood and Childhood EdM and PhD programs in the Department of Learning and Instruction at the University at Buffalo (SUNY).
Children who read better tend to do better in school in general. This includes things like how their teachers rate them and how well they do in school overall. It also means that they are more likely to graduate on time.
More than 1 in 5 children who can’t read at grade level by 3rd grade won’t graduate high school on time. However, only 1 in 25 of those who can read at grade level by 3rd grade won’t graduate on time.
Connection to Society
According to research, reading has many benefits that go beyond literacy, including things like emotional intelligence and a longer lifespan. Molly Ness, a literacy specialist and associate professor at Fordham University, explains that reading also strengthens a lot of different skills that are important for development, academics, social interactions, and cognition.
knowledge, and supports content learning in all subject areas Reading can also help us become more curious and connected to the world around us, explains Hirokazu Yoshikawa, PhD. He is the Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education and a professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University Steinhardt in New York City. “Reading is a critical social activity that rests at the foundation of our society and its future,” he says. Additionally, reading enhances vocabulary, builds background knowledge, and supports content learning in all subject areas.
Mental Health Benefits
Studies show that reading has a positive effect on the brain and can make people calmer and happier.
Sharing books with your child is important not only because it helps them learn, but also because it strengthens the bond between you. According to literacy expert Sophie Degener, reading aloud to your childsupport early language and literacy development and helps promote emotional bonding between parent and child.
How to Encourage a Love of Reading
Kids need three main things to help cultivate a love of reading: curiosity, time, and modeling, according to Heather Mansberger, a reading specialist with over 25 years of experience working with elementary school-aged kids in California and Oregon. She recommends making reading together a fun, exciting bonding time each day.
1. Read Aloud to Them
Don’t worry if your child gets distracted easily, just keep reading. Experts agree that the best way to foster a love of reading in your child is to simply read with them.6 Reading should be a social activity, not a solitary one, so it builds relationships as well as knowledge and curiosity. “It should be fun, interactive, and the basis for lots of asking, listening, curiosity, and connection,” explains Dr. Yoshikawa. Don’t worry if your child gets distracted easily, just keep reading.
Reading should be enjoyable, interactive, and promote communication skills such as asking questions, listening, and showing curiosity.
Reading time should not be focused on teaching literacy skills, but rather on the enjoyment of reading and hearing stories. Listening to stories is beneficial for children.
The books that parents read aloud to their children are usually more complex than the books that children can read on their own, which helps children develop literacy skills. Dr. Degener explains that reading aloud to children also helps them improve their listening comprehension and emotional attachments.
According to Mansgerger, parents should continue reading to their older children, even after they are proficient readers themselves. “I encourage parents to read aloud to their kids nightly through fifth grade,” says Mansgerger. By doing this, it will challenge their imagination and build their vocabulary and comprehension.
Since reading can begin to feel like homework for some older elementary students, it is especially important to read the book aloud to them. This lets your child simply enjoy the story—and experience the fun side of being immersed in a book, explains Mansberger.
When children have books at home and someone reads to them with excitement and enthusiasm, they benefit in many ways.
It is important that when you read to your children, you do so in an engaging way. This will make the experience more beneficial for them. According to Mansberger, children not only benefit from having books at home, but from having them read aloud with excitement and enthusiasm. They will feel your energy and this will help spark their curiosity. The goal is to get them hooked so that they can grow into independent readers and life-long learners.
Your older child will likely tell you when they have outgrown you reading to them. Dr. Degener suggests that another option for tweens is to set a family time for kids and parents to read their own books, possibly followed by a read-aloud time.
2. Talk About Books
When reading aloud to babies and little kids, spend time looking at the pictures and talking about what you see, This approach will promote greater comprehension and engagement. You can also use your tone of voice to bring the story to life.
Mansberger suggests that while reading, you should pause and ask your child questions. You can ask them to predict what will happen, summarize what has happened so far, or give their thoughts on why a character did what they did. Mansberger says that talking about the stories can help bring them alive, and will help build engagement, comprehension skills, critical thinking, and overall enjoyment.
If you’re reading something to your child and they seem confused, stop and explain it to them. This will show them that it’s okay to stop and think while reading. Also, talking about the book will help them understand it better and make connections between the story, their life, and the world.
3. Read Often
Promoting routine, consistency, and repetition will help reading become a habit, says Mansberger. Whenever possible, schedule reading time throughout the day, including kids looking at or reading books alone, or having an adult read to them. In addition, aim for 15 to 30 minutes of daily reading at bedtime.
Read to your young child even though they may not be interested all the time. Dr. Degener believes it is important to build the habit of reading with younger kids, so that eventually they will want to read on their own.
Dr. Cameron says that it is normal for it to take some time for children to get into reading, and that the more they practice, the better they will become at it, and the more they will enjoy it.
The more you read, the better you get at it, and the better you get at it, the more you like doing it.
4. Build Curiosity and Interest
Choose books that your child is interested in, like butterflies, sports, tools, fairies, frogs, or superheroes. This will help keep your child engaged in reading. You can also let your child pick their own books. If you’re not sure where to start, ask for recommendations from teachers, friends, librarians, and other parents.
According to Dr. Degener, it is beneficial to find books with characters that look like your child and family. This is especially true if your family speaks a language other than English. Reading aloud in your native language can help your child understand the book better.
5. Investigate a Dislike of Reading
If your child exhibits negative behaviors towards reading or having you read to them, it may be indicative of a deeper learning issue. “Whenever children display frustrated behaviors about reading (avoidance, crying, etc.), it is time to inquire if there is a reason for their reactions,” says Dr. Ness. Therefore, if you have any concerns, be sure to speak with their teacher in order to rule out issues such as dyslexia.
Even though your child might be expected to learn how to read by a certain grade, keep in mind that it is normal for some children to not learn until later grades. This does not mean that there is a problem with your child’s literacy skills.
6. Model Reading
It is important for children to see their parents reading for pleasure regularly. Make time during the day to relax and read whenever possible. This will show your child that reading is an enjoyable lifelong activity. Additionally, it is not necessary to only read books—anything in print or online such as the newspaper, recipes, or food labels counts.
According to Dr. Reisboard, the best way to encourage your children to read is to set a good example by reading often yourself.
Children learn by imitating their parents. So if parents read, their children will be more likely to read too.
7. Engage in Literary Activities
You can read street signs to them, talk about words in a magazine ad, or take turns reading a bedtime story aloud. If you make reading fun and social for your children, they will have positive emotions around reading when they enter school, according to Dr. Reisboard. This means more than just reading books with your kids. You can read street signs to them, talk about words in a magazine ad, or take turns reading a bedtime story aloud.
Dr. Cameron suggests that for children ages 4 to 6, rhyming games, singing, and talking about the sounds in language help build awareness of letters and words. This will help them “crack the code” of reading with greater ease.
Mansberger says that you can keep reading from getting stale by going to the library. He says that it is exciting for young children to get a new set of books each week from the library. Librarians are also a great resource for finding books that your child will be interested in reading.
According to Mansberger, parents should narrate their activities to younger kids throughout the day. For example, while on a walk, parents should point out and talk about everything they see. When grocery shopping, involve children in choosing items, and notice the words on the packaging. This allows for questions and curiosity about their natural surroundings.
According to Mansberger, listening to music and singing songs can help reinforce language skills and the connection between words and meaning.
Dr. Yoshikawa suggests that other beneficial literary activities include book clubs and reading with friends. You can also encourage your child to make their own books.
8. Read books covering topics your child already loves.
If your child isn’t interested in reading, you probably know what their other interests are. Most children have at least one thing they love to do, watch, play, etc. Find reading materials about the topics your child already loves.
You can find information on almost any topic by looking in a variety of sources. These sources can include news articles, books, or magazines. You might find them online or in print.
You can help your child develop a love for reading by being flexible in your approach. Find resources that your child will enjoy reading and take some time to read them together. This will help foster your child’s interest in reading.
No matter what your child is interested in, you can find books, magazine articles, or online articles about it. Whether it’s video games, dog training, sports, fashion, caring for pets, making arts and crafts, making friends, dance or music, there’s something out there for everyone.
7. Limit screen time and allow your child to get bored.
If you allow your child to get bored, they will be more likely to find something else to do, like reading a book.
I know this is true, even for myself! Screens are designed to keep you scrolling and it takes quite an effort to break away. When a screen is available, it’s the easiest thing to use. When you set limits on the screen time (for yourself as well as your kids), a book can be a natural alternative.
8. Let them stay up late to read.
I hated bedtime as a child. I would lie there for hours sometimes, unable to sleep. Reading wasn’t allowed and there were no screens, so I got good at staring at the ceiling.
As an adult, I find that reading is usually the very best way to ease into sleep. Of course, if the book is really exciting or close to the end, I might not be able to put it down!
9. Get creative with your read-aloud time.
In general, parents tend to be too structured and inflexible, while most children are more willing to be flexible. Many kids actually enjoy having some variety in their lives and can get bored if things are always the same. Of course, there are also some children who do best with routine. Ultimately, you should do what works best for your family.
If you have kids who like a little variety, try these ideas for creative ways to read aloud. Most of the ideas will work any time of year!
10. Go to the library or the bookstore together.
If you want to motivate your children, try taking some time each week to go to the library or bookstore together.
The library is cheaper than the bookstore since you don’t have to buy the books. However, if you’re able and willing to buy some books now and then, you may want to include trips to the bookstore occasionally.
You and your teen will both enjoy spending time together picking out books and reading them together. You’ll also have time to talk in the car on the way to and from the library or book store. Teens in particular often do some of the best talking while riding (or driving) since there’s no pressure to look you in the eye while you’re talking. You might as well take advantage of the situation!
You can help your children love reading by using your imagination and thinking of different ways to encourage them.
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