How To Encourage Good Reading Habits In Kids
Reading is one of the most fundamental skills children need to learn to be successful.
Not only do good reading skills benefit students academically, they are also a skill required for lifelong success. Reading develops vocabulary, increases attention span, and promotes stronger analytical thinking.
Getting Your Child Interested In Reading
The key to encouraging reading habits in kids is reading with them at home from a young age. By reading together often, your child will learn first hand the joys reading can bring, helping him or her develop a motivation to read.
However, every student learns and processes information differently. This means that some children may have a natural love of reading, and some may not.
If your child falls into the second category, don’t fret. As parents, there are many different strategies you can use to motivate your child to read.
First, it’s important to figure out why your child doesn’t like reading.
Why Does My Child Hate Reading?
Not every child loves to read. Some common reasons children don’t like to read include:
- Your child feels like reading is a chore
- Your child has difficulty reading
- Your child thinks reading is boring
- Your child hasn’t found the right book yet
The good news is that when you know why your child doesn’t like to read, you can address the issue and begin to make reading more enjoyable.
By learning to make reading fun, your child is more likely to develop a love of reading, encouraging better reading habits and making learning easier.
10 Ways To Encourage Good Reading Habits In Kids
Try these 10 easy tips to encourage good reading habits in your child by making reading fun.
- Create a reading area.
- Encourage reading at home and everywhere in between.
- Set an example.
- Make connections between reading and real life.
- Keep reading materials in the house.
- Visit your local library.
- Talk about what your child is reading.
- Expose your child to different book genres.
- Support your child.
- Read each night.
Make an area for your child to read in with his or her help. Grab a bean bag chair, fun accessories, a variety of books, and your child will have his or her own cozy reading corner.
Teach your child that reading is more than just for books. Practice reading menus, movie names, road signs, game instructions, and more—show your child reading is everywhere.
Act as a role model and read in front of your child. Watching you reading magazines, newspapers, and books shows your child that reading is important. Encourage your child to join you with his or her own book while you are reading.
Help your child apply what he or she is reading to everyday life. Making connections between books and your child’s own experience can help increase his or her interest in reading.
Give your child easy access to books and other reading materials at home. This helps him or her understand that reading doesn’t only happen at school—it can happen anywhere.
Making reading fun can be easy with a library card. Take advantage of the selection at your local public library by letting your child pick out a book that catches his or her attention.
After your child has finished a book, talk about what happened and ask what his or her favourite part was. This will enhance your child’s comprehension skills, and make reading a family activity.
Find a book that interests your child. Explore different genres like mystery, science-fiction, comic books, and more. The more interested your child is in a subject, the more he or she will be excited to read!
If your child has difficulty reading and gets frustrated, take a step back and see where he or she is struggling. Talk with his or her teacher and address the issue as soon as possible.
Make reading part of your child’s night-time routine. This habit helps your child learn to associate reading with relaxation.
Reading Should Be Fun, Not Frustrating!
Use these tips to get your child interested in reading so he or she can become an even better learner. With a little focus and direction, you can help give your child the reading boost he or she needs.
View our video below for more tips on how you can encourage good reading habits in your child (and find out what 73% of kids say keeps them from reading more).
If your child needs a bit of extra help with reading, our tutors are here to help! Learn more about our tutoring programs and find an Oxford Learning Centre near you.
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