Help Your Children Dive Deep Into the Magical World of Reading
When many of us were young, it wasn't common for us to be glued to games systems and television screens. When you asked a classroom of children what their favorite book was, you would get multiple different answers.
Today our children are engulfed in the world of technology. Now, if you ask a classroom what their favorite book is, you will get only a handful of individuals that have a distinctive answer. The rest of the class will either disregard reading all together or name a common book that they feel they should mention - Even if they've never read the first page.
Instilling a passion for reading within our children is a part of their growth process we should not overlook. Reading is a habit that is gained over time and should begin from a very young age.
So, what can we do, as parents, to get our young ones interested in the written word; in a world that is slowly but surely turning away from books?
1: Focus on your child's interests
For instance, my oldest child isn't a fan of reading. He would much rather watch people play games on YouTube. So, I found books for him that are written in a comic book style and that are written about the games that he watches upon that platform.
This can be done for any personality trait. If you child likes to cook, find them a book about a child preparing dinner with his or her parent. If you child enjoys television, find a book that is written about that television program. This will pique their interest and without knowing it... will give them inspiration to read.
2: Create a children's library in your home:
Today you can find How-To's on this subject on Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok and even through some blogs. Giving you step by step instructions on how to create an interesting area for your children to learn the love of books.
Make it available to yourself, as well as your children. Create a fun dynamic with the way you set things up, so they will be intrigued by the view of the area. Then, set one day a week at first for everyone to visit the "library". Eventually they will start visiting on their own.
Some people will place these areas in a corner of their living room, in the child's bedroom or even create a whole room dedicated to literature. The choice is yours.
3: Enroll your child in reading classes
This was easy with my children because their school has set up reading classes to help them grow and learn from books. However, some schools don't have this program available. Look into libraries or groups within your hometown that are dedicated to helping children with diction, idioms and phrases when reading.
Younger children will find these classes entertaining. There may be large colorful pictures presented and even some animated characters. They will be presented with illustrated picture books, songs, rhymes and may even go through a 'mad libs' process where they can create their own silly stories.
If your hometown does not have a group or location that provides this, you can set up a children's reading class yourself. Find other parents who are looking to expand their children's reading options with others, create a Facebook group to get the word out or start small with just your group of close friends and their children.
All children are different and learn at their own pace. There is no confirmation that the things you try will connect with your little reader. In fact, after going through everything you can think of and all the tips you've found; you still may end up with a child that dislikes reading.
All we can do is present them with the literature available to them and show them the benefits of a book. The rest is up to them. Don't get discouraged and don't stop trying. If nothing else, they will earn the knowledge on how to comprehend the books they read to help them with their academics moving forward.
🧡Shine Bright, Kayla