Recreational reading sets students up for success. But with all the distractions of the modern world, it can be hard to point children toward a book instead of a screen. Here are our tips for fostering a lifelong love of learning:
- Read to your child as early and as often as possible! It’s so important in language acquisition. Get your young reader off to a great start.
- Make the library an exciting outing. Show your children all of the exciting worlds held inside the library! Equip them with the skills to navigate it on their own, or show them how librarians can help.
- Don’t make reading a chore. Reading can take children to far-away places, transport them through time, give them magical powers, and more! It should be exciting, not a burdensome task they feel they need to complete. Help them find subjects that excite them. Book series can be great; they’ll want to keep zooming through book after book!
- Find books appropriate for their reading level. If your child is intimidated by reading, find books that are more easily digestible! Try comics or graphic novels for reluctant readers. Books marked as Hi/Low appeal to readers below grade level with age-appropriate reading topics and more simple vocabulary, lots of pictures, and more visually appealing layouts.
- And their interests. Try all sorts of genres—and that includes nonfiction! Kids who express an interest in sports, social studies, science, and plenty of other topics may want to explore the lives of the greats of those fields! Good nonfiction is narrative-driven, just like your favorite fictional books.
- Then push them to the next level. Don’t let reading get boring! Help your student grow by pointing them to more books in the same genres they’ve enjoyed. If they express interest in more challenging books, help them out by reading along with them or being willing to assist them in defining new words.
- Read, too! Children mirror the behaviors they observe. If reading time becomes a ritual for you and your family, it will become a part of your child’s expected routine. You can talk about the books you’re each reading or take turns reading pages of the same book!