Most parents can’t wait for a child to begin reading. The anticipation is so great that some begin teaching the skills to those as young as 2 years old. Success is never guaranteed, however. Some children are natural bookworms, while others rate reading only slightly more favorably than visiting a dentist. When kids regard it as more labor than love, parents may need to take a novel approach to honing a youngster’s literacy skills. Here are two ways to increase a child’s interest in reading.
Make It Personal
Storytelling is a great way to introduce children to reading. From spinning yarns by the fire to reading bedtime stories at night, it inspires them to explore the written word. You can further engage a child by inserting him or her, or other family members, into a story when appropriate.
As children reach reading age, let the young learner pick the stories he or she is interested in. You may have beloved childhood memories of adventures aboard pirate ships, but spaceships might be more to your kid’s calling. The more a child is part of the story, the more personal it becomes. Many parents have had luck getting a child to read through the use of personalized children’s books that literally write the youngster into the tale.
Love the Library
Fewer people may be using libraries these days, but your child shouldn’t be among them. Reading rooms and story hours are great pathways to literacy that also introduce children to other young readers. Make library visits part of a family day, and partner it with fun activities like ice skating or going for pizza.
Reading sets the stage for a child’s future success by fostering curiosity, encouraging self-awareness, engaging the imagination, sparking critical thinking, and developing in them a world view. These two tips will help instill them with a lifelong love for literacy.
I loved it so much when my Mom read to me and when we would walk to the library. And on weekends my dad took us all to the buy-sell-trade paperback book store.