How To Encourage Children To Love Reading
Teaching children the value of reading is a gift. It is a tribute to their lives and to the universal culture. It is a challenge to the imagination, a world full of possibilities in which they can develop the emotional and intellectual parts of their being.
Being an avid reader throughout childhood will help children increase their linguistic and intellectual skills.
They can laugh, dream, play with reality, unleash their curiosity and also develop more common ground with the people around them. A book is like a key to another world, through which they will discover new countries, get to know other personalities, travel through space and time. And they will no doubt want more and more of this every time.
Because when they slam a Lewis Carroll novel, they may feel the urge to discover Jules Verne. And after Verne, a book by Robert Louis Stevenson might interest them. And who knows, after this they will discover the universe as described by Conan Doyle. The classics will always be a good starting point.
But it’s not always easy, we know that. Children today are ruled by convenience, comfort and speed. New technologies give them access to a broader and more visual world in which everything, really everything, seems easier. They make less effort. There is no more room for imagination; after all, everything is already as explicit as can be.
So what’s next for the mystery, the subtlety and the discovery? The buttons on their Xbox or whatever game console they use give them access to an incredible world created by great developers in the video game industry. Slowly but surely, these electronics have taken over and overshadowed the universe that once belonged to the books.
As fathers and mothers, grandparents and teachers, we should not allow this. We must encourage children to make time to read. But, how do we get them interested in books?
Strategies for instilling a passion for books on children
1. Lead by example
You can’t convince anyone or anything if you don’t set a good example yourself. There’s no point in forcing a child to read if you’re just sitting at the computer or in front of the television. Children who are surrounded by adults who read from an early age are more likely to develop an interest in reading themselves. Chances are they will follow in your footsteps.
2. Early Exposure
Believe it or not, children understand a lot more than you think. Before they even start talking, they can understand countless words. Before they start reading, they can acquire many other kinds of knowledge: poetic language, puns and rhymes, listening to stories… It’s about being stimulated.
Sitting down with them and reading a story will be an incredibly obvious stimulus for them. Listening to your voice, your intonation, the storyline… these are small steps that will shape their brains until they are developed enough to begin the reading and writing process.
All this takes place before the third year of life, when they are more interested in the sounds made than the content of the stories themselves. But it’s still incredibly helpful for them to take in all this linguistic information. Reading stories before they can even walk is very good for them.
3. Organization
You have to make a schedule. Children need certain guidelines and rules. They need to know when to do certain things: chores, snacks, dinner, shower, bedtime story, games only on weekends… These are just examples, but what we’re trying to say is that guidelines are essential for children to learn to manage their own time wisely. Knowing what we expect from them at all times will also give them a certain sense of security. And remember that steadfastness is essential. When they are relaxing, there should always be a moment to just ‘crush’ a chapter of that book.
4. Let them be free in their choice
Don’t force them to read certain books. Give them what they like and make suggestions. Also, don’t worry if your child prefers to read comic books, for example. Comic books are a good stepping stone and a great universe that they can combine with books with similar themes: fantasy, adventure, science fiction…
Serve as a guide, but don’t force your own taste on them. Always consider their own development process. Children grow up quickly and before you know it they have different needs. And there are suitable books for every age group, and for every personal moment. Make suggestions, teach them things, respond… Also keep in mind that there are other ways to stimulate their enjoyment of reading. For example, explain to them that the movie about vampires they saw in the cinema that they really liked is actually based on a book. That the Walt Disney films also exist in book form and are a lot of fun to read before going to sleep…
5. Always answer their questions and pay attention to what they say
Listen to what your kids have to say. All the time. Of course, sometimes we hardly have any free time when our children come home from school in the afternoon. But keep one thing in mind: if you never answer their questions or listen to their ideas and comments while they are still young, there will come a day when they won’t ask for your attention at all and won’t do anything with you at all. will discuss you. So don’t hesitate, try to always make time for them.
Say something constructive about the last chapter of that book they are reading, listen to their ideas, make new suggestions, and feed their imaginations. You are their biggest motivation.
