Ways To Encourage Kids To Read

Jul 31 , 2021

Carol Sparrow

Whilst my website is focussed on selling my range of hand made book cushions for both children and all ages I'm also passionate about reading and the benefits it can bring to everyone. That's why I'll always do what I can to encourage reading from a very early stage.

We all know reading offers so many advantages to children. Not only does it help them learn it also helps develop creativity and imagination. Other benefits of reading include improved memory, learning different perspectives in life, building vocabulary and enhancing overall productivity. Plus ... it's fun!

That's why it's really important to do everything you can to develop good reading habits in children?

Here are my 10 most effective ways to encourage children to read books (and yes ... number 10 does involve a book cushion :-)) :

1: Read Together Every Day

Parents and children can read together even before children learn to read. Focus on cultivating reading habits in your child at an early age. These special one-on-one sessions are valuable for your child. Give them your undivided attention and make these sessions special for you both.

Reading together creates positive associations with reading that set the best platform to make your child an avid reader for life.

2: Make Reading Fun And Varied

Variety is the spice of life and that goes for reading too. Short stories, true stories, fables, fun poems, educational ... make sure you build variety into your child's reading habits to make it as enjoyable and fun to read and learn as possible.

3: Don't Write Off Audiobooks

You can't be there to read to your kids all the time but an audiobook offers a great alternative. It's a proven fact that listening to someone else reading fluently results in a positive response. So listening to a professional and expressive audio book narrator is no bad thing!

You can buy audiobooks for all ages, hire them from a local library or use apps.

4: Take The Lead

You are your child's best teacher - they watch, follow and learn from everything you do and the way you act. Let them see you reading books to make them aware of the importance of reading in life.

Talk to them about the books you read, share your childhood books and stories with them and get them to talk to you about what they like to read best. Let them tell you about the books, the stories and the characters, what they liked and what they didn't. This approach will help develop interest in reading books from an early stage and throughout life.

5: Surround Children With Reading Materials And Let Them Choose

As your children grow up, you need to surround them with an abundant collection of reading resources. If you keep a wide variety of interesting books and magazines that suit their reading levels, children will show more interest in reading.

Make a home library if you can - it needn't cost that much if you consider second hand or unwanted books which are really easy to pick up and cheap to buy.

You can choose some of the books for them but then let them pick a few themselves as well. Go for a variety of formats ... pop-up books, short stories, picture books, classics etc. Just make sure you provide a range of topics that your child can relate to. This is one of the most effective ways to encourage children to read books.

6: Show Interest And Respond Positively

You have to be appreciative of your child's reading efforts. The way you respond has a positive impact on their efforts to become good readers. Your feedback and positive suggestions motivate them to try hard. Make sure you praise them or reward them for their reading efforts.

7: Take Your Child To The Local Library

There's still a place for the local library in todays society - especially when it comes to encouraging the little ones to read.

Take them to the local library regularly. Apart from a fun trip out they'll have the run of the place and you can spend time looking at so many different books and reading sections to them. You can let your child pick the books they want to read and take them home and the next week you can take them back and do it all again.

Not only that but your local library will also run various events to encourage children to read. Check out what's on and take advantage of these events.

8: Use Technology To Keep Your Child Reading

Children love smartphones, tablets and other modern gadgets. Take advantage and use these gadgets to develop reading habits in your child. There are numerous reading apps available that let children read books on smartphones, computers or tablets. Parents can install them and encourage their children to read books using modern technology.

It goes without saying that you must ensure that the app you choose is appropriate and safe to use.

9: Give Books As Presents

Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, special occasions ... give the gift of reading. You're never short of choice and there's something for every budget - kids love it!

Not sure what book to get? Give a book token and let them go to a local book shop and choose whatever they want.

10: Buy A Book Cushion From SewnByCarol

Well ... I had to finish with this didn't I :-)

Seriously though, a book cushion can really help making reading fun, natural and create a reading routine.

The book cushion itself can be themed to your child's interests be it monsters, unicorns, planets, animals etc so makes a good addition to their bedroom. Slot in their favourite book at the time and they'll soon associate the pillow with reading.

They'll either use the pillow to make them comfortable when sitting reading or it will create the bedtime reading routine - get into bed and mum or dad take out the latest book and read the story. Lights out and the book is slotted back into the pocket of the cushion which is then propped up on the bedside chair ready to go again tomorrow.

Check out my range of book cushions for children.