Tips to Help Your Child Learn To Like Reading
With all of the access to technology that our children have in this age, it is becoming more and more challenging to have them sit down and read a good book or do their homework.
For the majority of children, books do not compare to what they can find in a YouTube video or on a streaming service.
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Parents usually go through great lengths, but still, struggle to make their children read. Conflict often arises between the parent and the child. The child will see themselves as being obligated to do something. They will also begin to resent the parents for making them do something they do not like to do, or they do not want to do.
For these reasons, I have come up with a few tips and tricks to motivate your children to read.
Read What You Like.
The best thing a parent can do is give an interesting story to the children that match up with their interests and preferences. There are an endless variety of books available and I am sure that one can find a book that can align with your child’s taste.
If they like adventure, you can get them a pirate book, if they like fantasy, a fairy-tales will probably be fun for them to read. In short, do not force them to read what YOU think they should be reading.
Read In Moderation.
Let them start reading little by little so they can get comfortable with reading and then increase their reading amount as they get better thanks to their practice.
Kids can become intimidated if they have a big amount of reading to do, so I believe that moderation will make them to get comfortable with the reading and be able to enjoy it too.
Let Them Read To You By Themselves.
Make them read for you when they get comfortable with a reading by themselves. Learning to you will be a good practice for reading out loud, which is an essential skill that one needs in school, and it also acts as a good bonding moment between both of you.
Show Interest In Your Child’s Reading.
This would make them happy and encourage them to read more to be able to discuss it with you.
Considering the reading with them and asking questions will be an excellent activity that will help them in the future with things like looking for the main idea or summarizing the readings.
Praise Them When They Show Effort.
Many kids get discouraged when they feel that the reading is hard or that they are not doing a good enough job.
Praising them and letting them go that having difficulty or making mistakes are normal things will surely help them and improve their self-esteem.
Having a small reward for reaching a goal or a milestone will also help since it can serve as a motivator.
The next set of tips is for children that are hyperactive and may need enhanced assistance in reading.
Give Them An Object For Comfort.
An object like a sock filled with rice on their shoulder would help them to keep still and calm so that they can concentrate on the reading.
Keep Electronics And Any Distractions Away From The Child.
This way, the book is the only source of entertainment they have at that moment. This will help them focus more on the readings.
Stimulate Their Imaginations.
Discuss the reading material with them, or make them write/draw similar stories. This will help them by getting them engaged with the passages and stimulating their brains to get them comfortable and happy.
About Stephanie Lima:
At FPLA, Stephanie Lima teaches Language Arts and Social Studies for Elementary and Middle School students.
For College-bound High school seniors, Reading, Writing and Language section of SAT, ACT, PERT exams and HSPT for 8th graders seeking admission to Catholic High Schools.
She is a junior at Florida International University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Psychology. She has a passion for science and plans to earn a master's in Public Health with a track in Epidemiology.