With children back in school after their summer holiday, getting them into the habit of reading is a great way to boost their education and nurture their cognitive skills.
It’s not unusual for children to only read when they have to. There’s nothing wrong with this and it’s one of the many reasons you, as a parent, are there to help them.
By following these 10 creative techniques, you can encourage your child to learn to love reading. But first, you should consider why they might be reluctant to read.
There could be a reason your child may not currently enjoy reading
Before thinking of ways to get your children to read, it’s useful to consider why they might not enjoy it.
Lacking the ability to read can be one of the most influential factors in a child’s unwillingness to pick up a book. A low level of literacy makes reading difficult for some children and affects their confidence to read.
This is more common than you may think – according to a 2015 study reported by The Reading Agency, 1 in 5 children can’t read well by the age of 11.
Another reason behind your child’s reluctance to read could be that they simply don’t enjoy it. However, this can be easily confused with not enjoying a certain type of book that they can’t escape.
On the other hand, your child may be indifferent to reading as an activity but is very selective about the books they read. This should be encouraging since you likely just need to find a text that stimulates them.
In any case, being there to encourage your child’s reading habits can help them progress in ways you may not be aware of.
Reading is great for children’s cognitive development
There are several ways that reading can benefit a child. It can:
- Support cognitive development
- Improve language skills
- Increase concentration and discipline
- Improve imagination and creativity.
In addition to this, The Reading Agency notes that reading for pleasure is more important for a child’s cognitive development than their parents’ level of education. So, getting your child to read could be the best thing you can do for their education – even better than having a high level of education yourself.
Encouraging your child into healthy reading habits could give them a wealth of opportunities that, otherwise, may not be presented.
There are plenty of creative ways to encourage your child to read
Many of the best methods to get your child to read are some of the most unusual and you may not have come across them.
Here are 10 to consider.
- Make reading their superpower with The Week Junior
Providing “supercharged reading for 8- to 14-year-olds”, The Week Junior gives children the opportunity to learn about current affairs, science, sports, arts, nature, and technology in content specifically curated for their age group.
The Week Junior is written by experts to engage young people in complex topics, develop their critical thinking skills, and aid the formation of their own opinions.
- Lead by example
Children imitate their parents’ behaviour, which gives you the perfect excuse to sit and relax with a good book in the knowledge that your little one is picking up the habit.
Because they watch their parents’ behaviour to inform their own, leading by example passively encourages them to read.
The best part about this method is that it allows them to develop their habits naturally since you don’t need to give them orders or direct them to read. This way, reading won’t feel like a chore.
- Create a reading space
Alternatively, you may opt to make your child a comfortable reading area where they can lose themselves in a book.
You could decorate it with their favourite literary characters as creative stimuli, or even cover it with cushions and blankets to give them a soft area that implores them to finish the next chapter.
- Give them the reins
Allowing your child to choose books that interest them could eliminate the problem of a picky reader who only reads certain books.
As the parent, you still have the last say in what books they pick up. However, giving them more freedom of choice allows them to explore their own taste in literature. As well as this, it could prevent them from negatively associating reading with topics they dislike.
- Try different genres
If your child is always reading the same type of book, whether they’re adventure stories or fairytales, mixing up the genre could help them to discover a new style of writing that they enjoy.
This could involve swapping fiction for non-fiction, choosing more picture-based books, or trying a new author.
- Use technology
Sometimes children can’t keep their minds on a book long enough for it to make an imprint on them. In this case, using the technology available to you to grab their attention can be a helpful way to get them reading.
You could try using audiobooks, or digital books that have interactive tasks and animated sections that keep them engaged and open them up to reading.
- Merge reading and playtime
Reading doesn’t have to feel like a chore for your child and there’s no reason for reading and playing to be mutually exclusive activities. You can mix the two with activities like scavenger hunts, reading recipes when cooking, or instructions for arts and crafts.
As well as this, turning their favourite characters into real-life costumes or making figurines of them can bring the text to life and keep them entertained by the book’s content.
- Make reading challenges
Giving your children tangible incentives to sit down with a book could provide the extra encouragement they need. Edible treats for a certain amount of reading hours, or a points system that rewards them with special days out are good examples of this.
- Vary the length of the books
If your child is struggling to finish books or, alternatively, speeding through them without a pause for thought, it may help to mix up the length of the books they read.
A longer book could be the necessary challenge that encourages your child to carry on reading. Meanwhile, trying books of a shorter length can give them the satisfaction of finishing one that inspires them to pursue reading the next.
- Get them hooked on a series
Finally, find a series of books they like and set them free.
Books with central, recurring characters offer a great way to get children hooked on a storyline or specific universe that keeps them coming back for more. Let the book do all the hard work as it engrosses them with cliffhangers between editions – you’ll struggle to pull them away from it.
