It is not a secret that reading is very beneficial. You can learn new things and you can definitely develop a playful imagination. Hence, it is recommended that you expose your kids to reading.
Apparently, most kids would ditch books. Most of them would rather play conventional games. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with playing such. But you have to make a balance. Playing at all times isn’t good as well. If your kids seem to dislike reading, here are tips which you can try out.
Set a strict schedule. You have to be firm in giving a strict schedule to your kids. I wouldn’t recommend that you schedule the whole day just for reading. That’s going overboard. Be gradual in setting your schedule. Maybe for the first week, a 15 – 30 minute reading session will do. After that, you can increase the time which you require them to read.
Take your kids to a children’s library. Most children’s libraries are designed to entice children. Such places are not like the old – school libraries where all you see are shelves and dusty books. Children’s libraries are very pleasing. Chairs are designed like train seats, shelves are shaped like animals and all those knick knacks.
Pick easy to read books. Don’t give them a Shakespeare’s novel just yet. That’s overwhelming. Better start with simple books. You might want to get books that are filled with illustrations to make your kids more interested. If you want to see a good book review site, you should see Miss Ballou’s page. I’m sure you’ll find books that will suit your needs.
Show them that you love reading too. Kids imitate what their parents do. If they see you not reading, don’t expect that they will do it on their own. I told you to make a strict schedule, right? You have to abide to that as well. That means, you have to read together with your kids.
Turn reading into your own game. To make reading more pleasing, you can come up with your own game that will require reading. For example, you will ask your kids some questions about the book that they have read. If they answered correctly, they will get a prize. For their wrong answers, cute consequences will be given, imitate monkeys for example.
See, reading can be fun for your kids. It doesn’t have to be boring. If you keep on doing the tips above, soon enough, your kids will be reading on their own. As a parent, that’s already an achievement.
Kim Bookman has two young boys. As a parent, she would like her kids to practice reading. She came up with the tips above to help other parents as well.