Most kids are born with the amazing virtue and will to learn. As a parent, you’d agree that your little one is either dashing about from one place to another or is bombarding you with a whole lot of questions about a whole lot of things. Some of these even leave you speechless and wondering, “Where’d he learn that?”!
While your child’s inquisitive nature is reason enough for him to imbibe the things he observes, hears and experiences, it is important that you constantly handhold him through his path of exploration and growth.
The habits that you encourage right now are the ones that will stay with him for a lifetime. Reading is one habit that will open your kid’s mind to a whole new and mystical world of ideas while encouraging his creativity and contributing to his intellect.
7 Amazing Ways To Encourage Kids to Read
- Read Out Stories To Him Every Day – Introduce your kid to the magical world of stories from a very young age. The sooner he gets exposed to your storytelling sessions, the more inclined he will be to pursue his interest in the literary art. Read out stories based on various themes to him every night before he goes to bed. Make reading a visual experience too, not merely a textual one. Books with pictures, examples of daily objects, etc. can work very well to prevent your child’s interest from fizzling out.
- Introduce Him To Music And Rhymes – Another way to enhance your child’s fondness for words is through music and rhymes. The melodious tunes and the peppy rhythms augment the process of learning and stringing words together to form meaningful sentences. It also encourages your kid’s interest in poetry and a creative expression of thoughts. You never know, the next Robert Frost is probably sitting right next to you reciting his rhymes.
- Encourage Him To Maintain A Journal – His day’s experiences, his thoughts about a story you read out, his feelings towards his pet – motivate your child to keep an account of these ideas in a journal. Doing this will help him fine-tune his way with language and words, intensifying his keenness and interest in both, reading and writing.
- Take Him On Regular Library Visits – The popularity of libraries may be dying down, but the vibe surrounding a place filled with inspiring books laid out neatly on shelves is irreplaceable! Kindle the love for books in your little one by taking him on regular trips to the library. Walk him to the section of children’s books and ask him to himself select the book he wants to read. Don’t let him pick too many books at one time as it can get a little too overwhelming for him and can fade out his excitement quickly.
- Include Reading As A Part Of His Daily Schedule – Have a set schedule chalked out for your child to follow everyday? Make half an hour of reading a part of it, if it isn’t already! Kids respond very well to set patterns, and before you know, those little elements become an integral part of their lives which they cannot do without. When your child gets used to reading on a daily basis, he will begin to enjoy it and gain a greater grasp of the intricacies involved in language.
- Encourage Group Reading Sessions – Ever experienced a situation where your child first refused to do something, but as soon as soon as he saw his friend do it, he too followed suit? Happens all the time! Kids often seek a stamp of approval and encouragement from their peer group and family. This is the reason group reading sessions are a great way to encourage your child to pick up that storybook that he keeps running away from. Every week, gather your kid’s friends along with one of their parents to come participate in a group reading activity. Getting everyone together is not only insightful but also a lot of fun! At the end of the session, you can reward the kids with little treats.
- Supplement Reading With Experiences – When describing scenarios and situations to your child, make sure that you infuse elements of familiarity in your narrative. For example, if the story has a mention of a park with a big tree, relate it to the large tree at your neighborhood’s park. If the story revolves around a little boy and his pet dog, use phrases like, “they were very close, just like you and your little doggie”. The more you establish a connect with your child’s mind, the higher are the chances of his interest thriving.
With the help of these tips, you’ll soon see your angel urging you to take him to the library so he can flip through and imbibe the vibrant stories of a new book every week. Happy reading!!
