Every parent loves to see their kids engrossed in books. After all, reading has been shown to have many important benefits for children. Reading helps children develop stronger vocabularies, perform better academically, be more creative, develop empathy, and have a greater understanding of the world. However, many parents wonder what they can do to encourage the love of reading in their children. Here are some important tips that can help you empower your children to fall in love with reading.
1. Encourage Repetitive Reading
Many parents will note that their children, particularly younger children, will often prefer to read the same book over and over. While the temptation may be to recommend another instead, it is actually perfectly fine for your child to read the same book repeatedly. This helps build accuracy, speed, and confidence.
2. Bring Reading on the Road
Heading to the doctor’s office or for some other appointment? Bring a book along. Going on a road trip? Take a book. There are a number of benefits here. First, it will help keep your child occupied. Secondly, bringing a book will encourage a habit of reading that will last for years to come.
3. Help Your Child Explore
One of the best ways that parents can help children develop strong reading skills is to ask them questions about the story. Ask questions about what order events happened in or what characters may have been feeling in specific situations. This can help your child begin to think more critically about what they are reading, which is an important skill.
4. Reward Reading
Rewarding your child for reading is a great way to foster the habit. This can take a wide variety of forms. For example, consider giving your child a small prize if they read a certain number of books in a month. Another simple way to encourage reading is to allow them to stay up an extra half an hour at night if the time is spent reading a book.
5. Encourage Effort
Many times, children will have difficulty reading an unfamiliar word or certain sentences. Praise your child for efforts such as sounding out words. Help your child break down a long word by using context clues to determine what the word may mean. Help show your child how to use a dictionary online so they can be empowered to define words themselves. Giving them the necessary tools and providing praise is very important in building confidence.
6. Give them a Hardcover Children’s Book Subscription
Children typically love getting new books. Our children’s hardcover book subscription is designed with the knowledge that big imaginations come in little bodies. Each monthly package contains two hardcover books in a colorful gift bag, providing your child aged 3-6 with adventures they’ll love to revisit over and over again.
7. Read to Each Other
You’ve likely read stories to your young children. This is an excellent way to build an interest in reading. However, it can also be very useful to encourage your child to read to you, especially for younger children. This can allow them to get more enjoyment, help you engage with them, and give you an opportunity to ask questions to help them learn and grow.
9. Opt for a Book Series
Most children, whether young children or teens, love familiarity. Selecting a book series for your child can help them enter an extended world of wonder while enhancing their familiarity with characters, tone, settings, and themes. Additionally, enjoyment of the first book will make it more likely they will opt to continue the series.
10. Gift Our Tween Chapter Books Subscription
For tweens, reading is an opportunity to explore longer stories and practice more advanced skills. Help celebrate this milestone with them by gifting our tween chapter book subscription. These longer books are perfect for ages 9-12 and contain two chapter books each month.
11. Role Model
One of the best ways to encourage your children to read is for them to see you enjoying reading as well. When they see mom or dad immersed in a book, they will be more likely to want to emulate that behavior and become avid readers themselves. Leading by example through setting aside time to read for your enjoyment will send a powerful message to your child as well.