Reading is one of the most vital skills children need to develop in order to help them achieve lifelong success. The more kids read, the richer their vocabulary becomes. Reading also tremendously enhances children’s brain development. When children read, it helps increase their attention span, develop their language skills, and increase memory retention and concentration. Because developing reading habits benefit young kids in several different ways, parents are encouraged to take steps to help motivate their child to read.
Developing good reading habits begins at home, and it can start at a young age. Our role as parents is to help our kids develop a lifelong love for reading. Here are some tips you might find useful!
Create an area dedicated to reading
As previously mentioned, good reading habits start at home. One of the best ways to cultivate a love for reading in your family is to create a reading corner for your child. This area doesn’t have to be huge or have a lot of bookshelves. It can just be a tiny little corner in your home, which you can fill with interesting reading materials your child will love. Make it cozy and conducive for reading by bringing in a cozy chair, some pillows, and other things that will help your child enjoy curling up while reading a favorite book.
Set a positive example
Children observe and follow the behaviors of the adults in their lives. If we want our kids to fall in love with reading, they need to see us do the same thing.
Instead of spending countless hours watching your favorite series on TV all night, let your child see your passion for reading. Whether you prefer magazines, books, or other types of reading materials, what’s important is that you model good reading habits for your little one to follow. This will help your child understand that reading is both essential and can also be a fun activity. Consider inviting your little one to join you during your reading session so you can share your excitement and enthusiasm about reading together.
Let your child pick out reading materials
To help children become more engaged in reading, let them pick out what they want to read. Maybe your child is interested in other genres besides typical fairy tales or animal fiction books. He or she may prefer stories about mystery, science-fiction, or other genres. Take your little one to the local library or a nearby bookstore and let your child choose reading materials that pique his or her interest.
Incorporate reading into your daily lives
Reading isn’t just about sitting down and becoming engrossed in a good book. Reading is also something that you can incorporate into your daily lives. A typical day consists of all kinds of tiny “reading moments” that can further help your little one develop his or her reading habits. These reading moments can be as simple as reading words on a grocery list, road signs, recipes, or directions.
Fill your home with reading materials
Providing children with a vast array of reading materials can help increase their interest in reading. Make it a point to surround them with all different kinds of books, comics, magazines, and other sorts of reading materials so they can easily pick anything that will pique their interest. This will help demonstrate that reading doesn’t have to be limited to just the classrooms or that it’s only needed for academics. Rather, they’ll see that reading is actually fun, entertaining, and a great hobby.
Make reading part of your child’s routine
It’s never too early to raise a reader. From the moment that you welcome your child into the world, you can begin to instill a lifelong love for reading.
Make reading part of your child’s daily routine. In addition to reading bedtime stories together, devote 30 minutes or an hour each day to reading time. This will help your child become more inclined to enjoy, and even look forward to, the activity and develop a lasting love for reading.
Developing positive reading habits can benefit your child in many different ways. Make reading fun and engaging for children with these helpful tips!
Here at Cornerstone Learning Center, our goal is to make learning fun and engaging for kids. Learn more about us by visiting our website.