Quick Tips To Keeping Kids Interested In Reading
Reading books can be an exhilarating experience. You sit down with a hot drink, smell the pages, and immerse yourself into a whole new world. Many of us were kids when we discovered the magic of reading for fun. In today’s Digital Age, kids are less likely to discover that experience.
Whether it be due to issues of accessibility or the allure of modern technology, reading for fun has become less common among American kids. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of kids who do so is at its lowest level since the mid-1980s.
If you’re a book lover, you probably want your kids to be, too. However, kindling and maintaining your kids’ interest in reading can be an uphill battle. These quick tips from around the world should help you along.
Try audiobooks
If your kids don’t like reading visually, try kickstarting their love of books with sound. According to experts interviewed by Kids News, Aussie kids love audiobooks as they are able to fully immerse themselves in stories and ignite their imaginations. They can even hear and learn the meaning of words they’ve never heard before, so they seem more familiar once they spot them on a page. This might be what you need to slowly transition your kids to reading physical copies or e-books.
Make a personalized reading nook
Another great way to encourage kids is to set up the perfect atmosphere that makes reading a book even more appealing. Here at Aidyn’s Books, we shared some insights into what experts from all over America believe makes the perfect reading nook. The main takeaway from their responses was this: personalize your space. For your child, consider adding stuffed toys and infusing the area with bright colors. Most of all, make it comfy — think cozy armchairs or giant bean bags.
Keep exploring new stories
Discovering new stories is one of the best things about reading for fun. It can fuel your kids’ curiosity and add new titles to their list of books to revisit. Bridge International Academies helps their students do just that. Its digital storybooks bridge accessibility gaps to provide a bunch of stories for different age levels, and its virtual library updated every week. You might want to try something similar with your own kids. Introduce new books on a regular basis — and let them take part in the selection process!
Reference stories in real life
Further engage your kids by bringing the elements of a book’s stories to life. This can be as simple as reading Matilda and showing your kids the movie adaptation afterward. You can also have them try some famous foods, like Turkish delight from the Chronicles of Narnia. If they’re obsessed with Harry Potter, consider aiming for a field trip to Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station in London — or to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter when you’re in Orlando.
Take the lead
A 2021 study titled Home Literacy and Numeracy Environments in Asia found that kids’ high engagement in reading books was determined by the significant contributions made by parents to their kids’ education. You can do the same in your home by reading aloud to your kids, reading books at the same time with them, or just simply reading around them. VeryWell Family explains that this will encourage your kids to read too thanks to something known as social learning theory, which states that kids naturally imitate their parents’ behavior.
Getting kids as interested in reading as you are can be hard, especially today. Hopefully, these books help you start your journey together.
