Reading is an important part of education and intellectual development. It also creates a sense of imagination within young children. Some kids love reading while others have a harder time making it part of their daily routine. There are various ways to develop reading habits in new readers such as reading with your child daily or signing up for a monthly book subscription box.
Make Family Reading Time Part of Your Daily Routine
One way to develop good reading habits in young children is to set aside time every day to read together. Even if only for 30 minutes a day, this is one of the most effective ways to teach your child not only how to read, but also to give them a lifelong appreciation for reading.
Parents should find a convenient time every day to read with their child. For example, right before bedtime. Or, if the child is old enough to have homework, find a time that doesn’t interfere with their school responsibilities, but still leaves them time to play before bed. Some teachers even provide reading logs so you can track the amount of time you spend reading with your child every day. These logs are very useful in establishing consistency when it comes to creating a daily reading schedule.
Make Reading an Enjoyable Experience
The first step in creating a positive reading experience for your child is to make sure they see the activity as something fun and not a chore. Your child’s age will dictate the type of environment necessary for creating a positive reading environment and helping them learn to enjoy reading.
For instance, toddlers may be more interested in turning the pages themselves or lift-the-flap books, whereas older children may be more engaged in the book if you read it with an animated voice. Take this into consideration when you decide how to read with or to your child.
Think of this as creating a level of ‘coziness’ for your child. Read together in an atmosphere where there are few distractions such as TV or phones. Children also love to cuddle. It makes them feel secure. Find a comfortable spot and let your child choose what they want to read which will get them more excited about the book.
Make Quality Books Available with a Book Subscription Box
A great way to develop good reading habits in young readers is through the use of a book subscription box. Lillypost is a book subscription box service which delivers 3-4 books directly to your door each month. This builds excitement in the child with the anticipation of knowing they will receive special mail every month just for them. That excitement leads the child to be eager to start reading their new books. This also helps parents by eliminating the need to shop for books each month. Lillypost takes all the guesswork out of shopping for books your child will love. Also, family and friends can sign up for a book subscription box for the kids in their life, making this a great gift for birthdays or holidays.
Lillypost starts at $19.95/month plus $4.95 shipping, but the longer you commit to this book subscription box, the lower the price per box! For a 12-month subscription, the price is only $15.95/month plus $4.95 shipping per box!
Lillypost also gives back. So, for every box delivered, they will donate a book to a child in need. To date, they have donated over 50,000 books across North America! And while your child acquires a love for reading with this book subscription box, they will also learn about helping others less fortunate. This is a win-win for everyone!
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Work on Language Skills in All Daily Interactions
Children need to develop the necessary building blocks when it comes to good reading habits. For example, parents can consider using more sophisticated vocabulary or reading from books with more advanced grammar as children grow. When you’re at the grocery store, ask your child to read the labels or ingredients to you, when stopped at a light ask them to sound out the name of the road, discuss abbreviations you see everywhere such as Blvd., St. and Ave. or simply engage in conversation while you drive.
Read More: The 30 Million Word Gap
Discussing the book or asking questions while reading with your child, or about a book they are reading, is great as well. Doing this allows the child to think about the story they are reading while gaining a better comprehension of words, meaning and sounds. It develops important critical thinking skills and helps in school. Even if it is a book the child has read numerous times, staying engaged with the child helps them learn to read, enjoy and understand.
Let the Child See the Parent Read Routinely
In order to create a good example for your kids, try to let them see you reading whenever possible. If your child sees that you love to read, they may soon start to pick up the reading bug as well. After all, you can’t expect your kids to love reading if they see that you don’t like it. And that doesn’t mean you have to read books. Magazines, newspapers, cookbooks or even blog sites are all fine. Of course, sometimes it’s hard to find time to read when you’re with your kids, but it is well worth it and provides a great example for the child. Host family reading time for 20 minutes each night before bed, complete with cookies and milk, start Saturday mornings with a cup of cocoa and a newspaper or magazine for each of you, or bring along the books in the car. No matter what make regular reading a habit that will last a lifetime.
Read More: 5 Reasons Why Moms Should Make Time to Read
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Incorporating these 5 simple tips in you and your child’s life can help a parent make reading an enjoyable pastime and future habit for their child. Between reading together and making fun books available like the book subscription box available from LillyPost, children will learn how fun it is to read. Slowly but surely, with a little daily motivation, you will raise a successful reader.
WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out this article on 3 ESSENTIAL TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE READING FUN FOR KIDS.
Sources: 5 Tips for Instilling the Reading Habit in your Children
