Reading is a wonderful hobby to develop and comes with many benefits. Not only will your child acquire language skills as they will pick up new words from books, but also expand their world view and general knowledge as they read about different cultures and societies. However, your child might see reading as a chore and be reluctant to pick up a book. So what can be done if your child is resistant to reading? Keep reading for some tips that might inspire and cultivate a love of reading in your child.
1. Part of your daily routine
If reading becomes a part of the daily routine in your household, it will give your child the impression that reading is just another part of their day, as opposed to yet another chore for them to complete. Establish reading as part of their nightly routine by encouraging them to read a few pages every night before bed. This will help them stay off their mobile devices as well!
2. Let your child choose their reading materials
Your child will be more willing to read if they are interested in the story. Take some time to let your child figure out what genre of books they are interested in — whether it’s fantasy, non-fiction or even graphic novels. It is also important to ensure that your child is reading books that are catered to their learning level. You can check this by asking your child to read passages from the book out loud and then asking them to explain what they understand from the passages.
3. Keep books accessible
Keep books accessible around your home, so that your child can pick up a book and start reading whenever they want to. Encourage your child to pick up a book when they have free time, instead of watching television or scrolling through social media apps.
4. Read aloud to each other
Your child and you can take turns reading aloud to each other so that your child can familiarise themselves with potentially confusing or complicated words. This can help younger children with speech development as well.
5. Plan a family outing to the library
Go to the library and get your child to pick out books they are interested in. Check in with the librarians if there are any activities going on that your family can participate in as well, or ask them for book recommendations based on your child’s interests.
6. Don’t be limited to just books
Books are not the only reading material your child can read. Get them to read out recipes when you are cooking, or even instruction manuals! Not only will your child feel a sense of accomplishment from helping out, they will also realise the importance of reading even in daily life.
We hope that the tips shared in this article will help your child cultivate the wonderful hobby of reading.
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References:
“10 Tips to Make Your Child Love Reading.” 2021. NRC. April 7. https://nrc.org.za/10-tips-to-make-your-child-love-reading/.
Baigelman, Louise. 2020. “14 Ways to Encourage Grade-Schoolers to Read.” Understood. December 7. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/14-ways-to-encourage-your-grade-schooler-to-read.
Lan, Yi-Chin. 2022. “Fall in Love with Reading: Ten Simple Things You Can Do at Home.” NAEYC. Accessed December 1. https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/fall-love-reading.