.png)
Do you struggle to get your children excited about reading? Are you trying to get them to spend more time with books than the remote control or video game controller? The trick is to make reading fun and engaging in ways that make sense to them!
Make it easy – have books around! Sounds so simple, but if you don’t make them easily accessible, they might not think about it. Take them to the library and let them pick out a stack. Give books as gifts. Keep stacks out on the coffee table, right next to the remote. The easier they are to see, the more interesting they might be. This is exactly the same concept as having healthy snacks readily available!
Let them pick. I know this is hard – you want them to read things that are worthwhile and educational. But if you force those on an uninterested reader, it has the opposite effect. Let them choose what books sound interesting to them – comic books and graphic novels count! Show them that you can find books about literally anything that they like – there’s even books about video games!
Make it a challenge. Why not have the whole family do a reading challenge? Make a chart so you can see everyone’s progress. Create goals individually and for the whole family – maybe there’s a fancy outing or dinner once everyone succeeds! Seeing you reading will model for them how it can be enjoyable.
Make connections. This is where the fun is – make it more than just about books. If they finish a book with a companion film, have a movie night and ask them to compare and contrast. If you all read the same book, you can have your own family book club! Have a meal or a day inspired by whatever they’re reading, so it brings it into the real world.
Is reading important to you? Is it something you want your family to do more? Share your ideas and tips for getting the family reading!
Originally featured on Kivity.com 3/10/2022
Comments