Imagine diving into a world where excitement, wonder, and endless possibilities await. Picture your child’s mind igniting with imagination, their curiosity soaring to new heights, and their dreams taking flight. Welcome to the incredible realm of reading!
Reading isn’t just a fundamental skill—it’s a gateway to a world of entertainment, enlightenment, and success. With every page turned, a whole new adventure begins. From thrilling tales of daring heroes to heartwarming stories of friendship, reading has the power to shape personalities and inspire greatness.
Through the pages of books, children embark on extraordinary journeys. They travel to far-off lands, meet fascinating characters, and explore diverse cultures. With each word absorbed, they gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. Reading empowers kids to learn about different people, places, and ideas, fostering empathy, tolerance, and open-mindedness.
But the magic of reading doesn’t stop there. It’s a superpower that fuels growth, both academically and personally. Reading expands vocabulary, improves language skills, and enhances critical thinking abilities. It opens doors to knowledge, sparks creativity, and unlocks the imagination within.
Moreover, reading equips children with essential tools for success in life. It builds strong foundations for communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. The ability to read fluently and comprehend deeply is a valuable skill that sets the stage for future achievements in every aspect of life.
So, how can we unlock this incredible power? By nurturing a love for reading, we inspire a lifelong journey of exploration and learning. By sharing captivating stories, we light the spark of imagination. By encouraging regular reading habits, we open doors to endless possibilities.
Together, let’s embark on this magical adventure. Join us as we uncover the secrets of developing reading habit in children. To develop reading habit in children that lasts a lifetime, you need to focus on four steps – exposure to books, what to read, how you read, and engaging kids when reading. Let’s explore how to do these in the right way.
Step I. Increasing child’s exposure to books
1. Keep a lot of reading material at home.
Having easy access to books and other reading material at home will encourage kids to pick it up and read. Place the books within their reach. Keep a few books in every room. This will send the message that reading is not just limited to school, but reading can happen anywhere, anytime. You can also buy a bookshelf for kids and allow them free access to it. The more often they see the books in front of their eyes, the chances are higher that they will pick up a book and start reading. Next to the bookshelf, create a cozy and comfortable reading corner. A bean bag or stool or an ottoman next to a shelf filled with a variety of books can become a child’s favorite corner at home. The idea is to make the setup comfortable, relaxing, and quiet.
2. Make reading a family ritual.
Having quality books at home will not automatically transcend to reading habit in kids. To ensure exposure to reading habit, make reading a family ritual. Kids value what they see their parents doing. They mimic their parents. So, set an example. Be a role model for your kids. Read newspapers, magazines, books, whatever you and your family members enjoy to create a culture of reading. Language – whether it is English or regional language – is not important here. Also, make books a part of rewards. Make books a part of gifts not just for your kids but also for other children, their friends, their cousins. Let books become your best gifting option for all kids around you.
3. Show your child reading is everywhere.
To develop reading habit in children, look for unique opportunities to read anywhere and everywhere. Such opportunities can range from the menu at restaurants, to milestones on highways, from the recipe of making their favorite dessert to signboards on streets, from reading the shopping list to names of places you will visit in your next trip to Mussourie. Such opportunities are endless.
4. Enroll them to a library.
Let your child join a digital library to get them access to thousands of books and age-appropriate age of learning resources. Moreover, these days many small local libraries have come up that have books for kids and also conduct book reading sessions. If possible, attend book fairs, literature fests, book reading sessions, and book launches. Let these be a place of discovery and adventure.
Step 2. Choosing the right books for your child
1. Expose your child to different book genres.
Expose your child to both fiction and non-fiction books. Each new book will expose the child to new information, concepts, places, and people! Exposure to a wide variety of content will help you identify what interests your child, what your kid is more excited to read. The quality of the literature they have access to directly correlates to good reading habits. Selecting the right book for the right age is important.
2. Language in which child should read.
The child doesn’t have to read in English. Language to choose should be based on what the child understands and enjoys. Kids should have access to good books in the language they are comfortable with. It can be English or the language they hear at home or their mother tongue.
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Step 3. Engaging children with books the right way.
1. Involve your child in buying books.
Explore the children’s section together. Pick a book and flip through the pages together. Allow your child to choose books. It will give them a sense of ownership and pride. Engage them in arranging bookshelves and handling books.
2. Choose books that resonate with their passion.
E.g., If children love travelling, get them books related to different countries.
3. Get them interested in Series.
It may be a series of particular titles or similar books by the same author. Magic Tree House or Junie B. Jones are great options for elementary students. For middle school, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson are good options. Binge-reading Harry Potter is better than binge-watching its movies any day. Titles by Dr. Seuss, Sudha Murthy, Roald Dahl or Ruskin Bond can be good options for binge reading.
4. Appreciate their effort.
Kids need to feel loved, accepted, and appreciated. They like the feeling of making their parents proud. A word of appreciation occasionally goes a long way to encourage them to continue this meaningful endeavor of reading books. You can appreciate through words, gestures, and sometimes rewards.
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Step 4. Making reading a fun activity.
1. Be enthusiastic.
To develop reading habit in children and engage them with the story, adults should read it with enthusiasm. When reading aloud, use different tones, voices, and facial expressions. When reading to a toddler, use your finger to show the progression of print and see the words. Even before learning to read, they need to learn their way around a book. Engaging the kids in the story using all their senses and intellect helps the story come alive to them. All these help them crack the language code in their mind. Show interest when your child reads. For babies and toddlers, re-read their favorite books. They love that.
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2. Make connections between reading and real life.
Relate the narratives of books to their own experiences instead of just reading them. Keep them engaged by asking questions.
3. Make reading a habit.
Give your kid time to read for pleasure and fun. Don’t over-schedule their day with school work.
4. Embrace the digital revolution.
Though nothing comes close to the feeling of holding a physical book in hand, access to Kindle, audiobooks, and other reading apps can diversify their reading experience.
Conclusion: Develop Reading Habit In Children
Despite implementing all these four things the right way, if you see that your child is not reading or getting frustrated because they have difficulty reading, take a step back, introspect the issue and consult an expert.
