As parents, we all want our children to have a love for reading. Reading helps children develop their vocabulary, language skills, creativity, and imagination. However, sometimes children can be reluctant readers. Here are some tips on how you can encourage reading for kids:
1. Start Early: Start reading to your children from a young age, even before they can understand words. Babies are developing their language skills even before they start talking. They would love to hear you talk, sing and read to them from the moment they are born. This will help them associate reading with positive experiences.
2. Make it a habit: Read daily with your child and make it a habit. You could even make it a part of the bedtime routine. Setting a time every day that you can sit down and read with your child can make it into something they look forward to even more.
3. Make it fun: Read the book with passion. Adding highs and lows while reading help keep the child engaged. Reading with emotions, re-enforce the meanings of the word making it easier for them to remember and add to their vocabulary.
4. Read with Passion: Encourage your child to participate in reading by allowing them to turn the pages and make predictions. Point to the pictures in the book and ask questions to keep them involved. Ask them to tell you their favorite parts or narrate the story to you.
5. Choose the Right book: Choose books that are engaging and fun to read. Books should be picked as per the reading level of the child. When reading to Toddler for example, consider choosing books with colorful pictures, fewer words, and shorter stories.
Better yet, you could allow them to choose the book they want to read. This gives them a sense of control and independence.
6. Create an environment Create a cozy reading nook in your home, where your child can read by themselves or with you. This will create a special reading space and help your child associate reading with a comforting environment.
8. Join a book club or library: Join a local book club or Children’s Library. This can be a great way to find new books.
