How do I make my children love reading?
By Alex Deakin
Most parents understand the benefits of reading, they know that it can help spark a lifelong interest in learning as well as shape the foundation of their child's education. Although one of the most common questions asked by parents is, how exactly do you get your child to love reading?
For this article we interviewed Teacher Ryce Calunsag of The Learning Library, a teacher with over 15 years of experience in the field
How Can You Learn to Love it?
Reading is a very complicated task. “You’re not going to learn to read the same you learn how to walk,” says Teacher Ryce. Reading takes time and it is something that must be nourished and learned to be enjoyed starting at an early age. To develop a child's interest in reading, it must be done early on with the intent of creating a lifelong habit. Here are some other tips that can help facilitate this growth.
The 20-minute rule
Allocate 20 minutes a day to have your child read. Done daily, this develops the habit of reading. While it may not be easy to wean your child away from gadgets, it is reasonable to insist on 20 minutes for reading. Make sure there’s a lot of good books at home that they enjoy. Here is a link to the benefits of reading for 20 minutes a day.
Read to your Children
Reading to your children is one of the best ways to nurture the love of reading. It creates an emotional bond between you, your child, and the book. Done well, reading aloud to children helps develop prosody -- the feature of expressive reading which includes timing, phrasing, emphasis, and intonation that good speakers use to convey meaning. Learn more benefits of reading to your child here.
Choose Books Your Child Will Love
Sometimes, it takes just one book to get your child hooked on reading. Take time to know your child's interests, look up suitable books online, and keep trying new things. Ask other parents for recommendations, and borrow books to know what your child likes before buying more of the same. For more on this topic check our article on how to choose the best books for your child.
Make It Enjoyable
Learning to read is not the easiest task: make it enjoyable for the child. Books should be something they look forward to, not a chore. Ease your child into it and don’t forget to go at their pace. Above all, show them that you enjoy reading yourself. Modelling is the number one way of developing the love of reading.
Why is it Important?
When the going gets tough, here are some things to remember and inspire you to develop the reading habit in your children:
Reading is fundamental.
Reading is the one skill that will allow your child to learn a multitude of other skills. All academic subjects are anchored in reading, for a child to be able to understand their work they need to be able to read the text at their current grade level. Reading is a fundamental skill even in math: math problems are often presented as word problems.
Reading aids problem-solving.
Reading helps children advance in academics by developing problem-solving skills and increasing imagination and creativity. This study done by researchers at Malaga University in Spain and the University College London shows how recreational readers perform better in the classroom.
Reading is enriching.
In a world where children are often given screens and gadgets, reading helps a child focus and think deeper. Books bring comfort, knowledge, and entertainment inside just a few pages. Children who read will hardly ever be bored.
To learn more about reading’s benefits and why it’s important check out this link!
Need Help?
Since 2006, The Learning Library has been teaching children not just how to read but to love reading. We offer a free assessment for reading, comprehension and writing. To schedule one, send us a message at inquiry@learninglibraries.com.