A Child Who Reads Will Be An Adult Who Thinks

Reading is therapeutic, and books are like balms for your soul. But not everyone possesses this gift of being transported by the written words. Be it, kids or adults, reading takes its time to make an impression. When we talk about kids and reading, we must be able to understand if it is a leisurely task for them or is something they find hard work. If it is the latter, then they would not find reading enjoyable or engrossing.

There are various factors that contribute to your child’s dislike of reading. Your child may have issues with fluency, or maybe he hasn’t developed his vocabulary skills. They may even have some learning problems, but whatever the cause may be, learning to identify his weak areas and addressing them is a good start to go. We must remember that once your child becomes better at reading, he will start enjoying reading much more. Also, try to find his interest areas and allow him to read materials that pique his interest.

Let us look at some other points which can help motivate your child to read on their own.

1. Create an ambiance for reading:

Children learn a lot by observing their parents. If you love books and are surrounded by them, chances are more that your child will be in love with books too. If they see you read books, they will also sooner or later get bitten by this reading bug. Also, allow reading to be a fun experience and not something they have to do under pressure. Pressure strangles the fun and makes the job tiresome. Allow your child to inculcate a love for reading, and he will surely develop a love for learning. Struggle with reading leads to struggle with learning and this can hamper their overall performance in the long run.

For starters, you can give your child books such as I can read! Pete the cats’ trip to the supermarkets. They are simple to understand, and also interesting for young minds. These books consist of word reputation along with whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with your emergent reader.

2. Give your child age-appropriate books:

Another reason why children lose interest in reading is that they start reading books that are above or below their age. You can’t expect a 6-year-old to read something meant for an 8-year-old and enjoy it. Even if your child shows interest in the books, he will slowly lose motivation if it is hard to read and grasp and vice versa.

You can help them by getting them started with I can read books level one. As they become more confident readers you can choose from a wide array of, I can read books. The level one books are for beginners who have just ventured into reading and are beginning to sound out words and sentences.

3. Designate a reading time for your child:

There is no hard and fast rule that your child needs to read at a certain time. Reading can happen at any given time. But when you are starting as a novice, it is best to designate or assign a particular time for reading as per your convenience. Mostly, when you are off to bed, it is a good practice to devote some time to read with your child. Allow your child to pick his favourite book and read to him aloud, if possible, with actions. This will make the whole process of reading more impactful and enthralling for young minds, and soon they will start to read on their own.

Once they start on their own it is a great idea to buy them books such as I can read series and let them participate. You can pretend to be certain characters and read the dialogues by turn.

4. Add a splash of variety to your reading material:

When your kid shows interest in reading, don’t restrict his love for books to one genre only. Allow him to venture his liking to other materials like comic books, biographies, kids’ magazines, how-to books, and so on. Remember, our goal is not to make him love one particular book, but to love the whole concept of reading. At home, make sure to keep as many books as possible well within the reach of your child. When they find themselves surrounded by books, the urge to read will automatically come to them.

 5. Create a special place for your child to read:

Kids love to have their special place where they love to do their things. Why not create a cozy nook for your child where he can enjoy reading? You can make a tent house for him, and your child can imagine it to be a cabana or a castle. His little corner can be his fantasy world of adventure depending on what book he is reading.

 6. Reluctant readers can benefit from reading to younger siblings:

If you have a child who is reluctant in reading, then make him read to his younger siblings. Ask him to read rhymes or easy pictorial books and see him improve his vocabulary. This will not feel like a daunting task to him and will serve the purpose of him reading out loud.

Another method for reluctant readers is to read out to their pets- be it dogs or cats. This is a very good way for reluctant children to learn reading as they read out to them without any inhibitions of being judged.

7. Create an element of surprise and curiosity:

If you feel that your child is not reading on his own, then make sure to find a book and read it to him out loud. Then stop reading. If your child wants to know what happens next, then ask him to read on his own. When you can kindle his curiosity, then you can be assured that he is likely to read on his own.

8. Practice what you would want to preach:

You cannot expect your child to love reading if you as parents don’t have any interest in reading. When your child sees that you are glued to the books, they would be intrigued to know what’s in them. This will motivate them into reading. Books on fairy tales, folklores have magical nature. They make a great way for read-aloud books for your child. You may also find books like I can read series, which are organized into color-coded levels. These books offer hundreds of titles and have the most beloved character friends for every stage of your kid to help engage and excite them.

9. Create easy access to books for your child:

Another way to make your child love reading is to have easy access to books. Have a home library, so that whenever your child needs a book, he can easily find it. You can also make use of libraries and get your children library cards. This will allow them to take ownership of their reading skills and experience.

I keep a bookshelf accessible with age-appropriate books in my kids’ room. They pick the ones they are interested in and that they like to read. If you have children of various ages, you can also keep a few I can read books level 1 and so on so that they can enjoy reading well.

10. Audiobooks can also help a lot:

This is a new age tool for reading, and yes, audiobooks also count as reading. Audiobooks can help you read a book better. When you hear someone read a book, it can help you increase your fluency. Audiobooks allow children to hear explicit sounds of letters and letter patterns that form words. This helps them to improve their vocabulary, critical thinking as well as comprehension. Audiobooks are a boon for struggling readers as they can help motivate them to read better.

To conclude, in the words of Rachel Anders ” The journey of a lifetime starts with the turning of a page”.

This is true as reading is not just a hobby. Its merits are manifold. Apart from making you a storehouse of vocabulary, reading also strengthens the brain and prevents cognitive decline. It is a great stress buster and aids in alleviating depression. So, make sure to inculcate this life-enriching habit from an early age.