As an adult, reading tends to be something we do to relax. A hobby we choose to indulge. For children though it is a crucial life skill. One that needs to be nurtured from a very young age. But how can we help children become super readers?
World Book day 2021
I love writing about World book day and last year I shared the books that last a lifetime. Since then I have spent a huge amount of time reading and sharing the books I have enjoyed on my blog.
It has become a passion of mine in the last year. I guess spending a year at home will do that for you. Suddenly with more time and a greater need for escapism, books became more important to me than ever.
As someone who also works in a school, I know how important it is that children find a love of reading as well. It’s a skill that will stay with them for all of their lives.
Building this relationship with reading from a very young age is vital, especially in the digital age. Now its World book day, lets look how we can help our children become super readers?
How to help children become super readers
Make it routine
If your children have always been read to, its natural that they will see this as part of their day. As much a part of their routine as teeth brushing and going to school.
NORMALISE READING
Bringing your children up in a home that is covered in books and a home where the adults are never far away from their latest read. It follows that the children will see that it is something completely normal to do.
If they see that you choose to read for fun and not simply because you are being told to, this will normalise reading for them. This is a huge step towards their own reading journey.
Make space for reading
If there is somewhere inviting to read in, this will encourage the desire. You could create your own book corner. Or grab some bean bags, snuggly blankets and fairy lights.
Somewhere away from the TV, where you can all get lost in a story together. Again, make this a part of the routine. Think about switching off half an hour before bedtime and allocate this time for reading for the whole family.
Share books with the whole family
Choose a book to enjoy together, one that is suitable for all. Julia Donaldson books are perfect for a young audience. Something like Harry Potter is a great book for slightly older families.
Encourage them to read along, or to lead the story telling. Use funny voices for the characters which will bring the story to life. Enhancing the experience and engaging them in the story telling. Take your time so it doesn’t feel like a chore to anyone.
Buy books
Let children explore a book shop. They are wonderful, magical places for any avid reader, let them feel that. By letting them choose their own books as well, they will instantly be more engaged.
Make sure to have a collection of different books available to your children. From picture books to classic children’s stories. Let them explore them, choose what they want to read. I have found that simply by having a book shelf they can access they will pick up a book more often.
Support school reading
One of the best things I did when my son was small was to support reading in school. One morning a week I would listen to his classmates read. I was never partnered with him but you can guarantee he’d come home that night desperate to read to me.
Plus it is a great way to see how things are done in school. Reading comprehension is such a huge focus in schools now. When I was young, you read because it’s how you developed, learned. Now understanding what you are reading is as important as the skill of reading itself.
Make sure to be reading your child’s school book and offering feedback to the school, usually in the form of a reading diary. It is something that is looked at in school daily and allows teachers to monitor progress.
Ask questions
This will support their comprehension but will also show engagement in the story. You can gauge their interest in the story and how much they understand whats happening.
Encourage them to asks questions as well. I know being interrupted can be frustrating but they are asking because they don’t understand. Or because they are inquisitive.
By letting them ask questions they are naturally more involved in the story telling. You may find your reading time cut in half thanks to questions but don’t discourage it.
Give the gift of reading
I am terrible for buying books for people. If I know they enjoy to read, that will always be my go to. Some of my favourite reads have been ones that someone has given to me as a gift. A book that I may well have overlooked myself.
A book makes a lovely thoughtful gift. By giving our children books as gifts, we are probably helping the environment as well! No excess packaging, no large boxes to dispose of and unlikely to find its way to landfill!
Normalise giving the gift of reading, togetherness and adventure between the pages!
Super readers!
And there you have it, 8 ways you can encourage your children to become super readers! Go and read, get lost in a wonderful world of make believe, share the magic and joy that reading brings.
How do you as a family share reading in your home? Do you have a book that you enjoy sharing?
My pair love their books too. Large boy is a total book worm, small boy has just switched from picture books to chapter books that we read to him at bedtime and at the same time he’s reading a proper book aloud to us.
We’ve read to them both since before they were one and they’ve always seen us read for pleasure too.
These are excellent tips. I used to read to my girls all the time when they were young. They loved reading. Unfortunately, high school English classes turned them off reading completely. Hopefully, they will rediscover their love of reading as adults.
These are great tips! It’s true that reading is such an essential skill and it breaks my heart when I have students in my class (first year university students) who tell me they have never read a book cover to cover. I mean, they must struggle so much just to get through their study material. I just wish their parents would have invested in cultivating a love of reading among them. Okay, rant over 🙂
All the best, Michelle (michellesclutterbox.com)
These are all great tips! I don’t have kids yet but I know the importance of introducing reading at a young age and reading together! I can’t wait to share my love for books with them! Thanks for sharing x
I wish more people focused on making sure their kids read. My mother did, to the point that I would read under my covers when I was supposed to be asleep. She could never even really ground me, because she refused to take away my books, and that was basically the one thing that would have actually had an effect on me. Books are amazing!
I loved reading books as a child; my mum used to take me to the local library every Saturday morning to get new books and I’d always read them as quickly as I could! 😀
I am so with you on this post. When I was little, my mum was constantly reading and telling us stories. This opened up our ideas on reading and what it can do. I am forever reading now and my sisters are the same. I think it all started with my mum!
Rosie
Some brilliant tips here and as an ex children’s bookseller I agree with them all wholeheartedly! I love reading and seeing kids get excited over books and being able to connect with them and stories within!
These are great tips. My mum does a good amount of these things and I know that they really help. My mum buys books for us a whole lot ranging from school textbooks to novels and the likes and she is always there to remind us to read haha. I don’t have kids yet but I have younger siblings who are kids. Reading a book to them is such a great one. They love love love having someone read them a book but unfortunately, I am not always down for that hahaha. Lovely post x!
So true! These are the things to do to make our kids a super reader. Reading is an important hobby.
Oooh I love this post for World Book Day! I loved reading ever since I was a kid because my Mum was a big reader (still is) and would read to me and I just caught the bug. I was such a reading nerd when I was in primary school as well. Always taking part in the Summer reading challenges at the library and winning it hahaha! If/when I have kids, I’ll definitely be doing all I can to encourage their reading! xxx
I think it is such an important role as a parent to teach our children to love books. I read to mine when they were babies so it is something they had always known
I love this post Claire, when I used to work in schools, we were always encouraging them and their parents to get them reading at home x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Perfect timing for World Book Day! I’ve always loved reading growing up and often visited the library. One of my fave memories is completing little reading challenges there! xx
Ahh I love this post so much! My niece has just got into Harry Potter and she’s so excited about it all – she’s only 5 but it’s become their bedtime book. I did a reading volunteering thing before the world fell to pieces and I loved watching the children start to really engage with the book and encourage them to read. Lovely post.
These are some great tips – there is nothing like being able to disappear into a good book and it is definitely something that often stems from loving books when you are younger I think too.
These are wonderful tips. I am lucky that Jack is a brilliant reader and I only help Olivia becomes the same.
What a fantastic post this is. As a teacher in KS1 I can concur just how important it is for children to learn the skill of reading as it is the stepping stone to all other learning. It is also so vital to make it fun for them. If you don’t reading will become a chore and just another boring thing they have to do at school which we don’t want! I read with my son every single day multiple times, he is 3 but knows so many books off by heart and loves to read them with silly voices, we make reading fun and I hope it is something he continues to enjoy as he grows up. I am never far from a book as reading is a huge passion of mine and I love to share the wonder of stories with children through story time!
Keeping a routine and sticking with it is our greatest challenge, but we do have a little reading nook which is good x
My brother and his family always read to the kids twice a day and more since the start of the pandemic. I love the tips in this post.
I like the idea of having a dedicated reading space. A wig-wam for reading – imagine that! Sounds super cool 😀
Some fantastic tips here! I often get my children booksets for their birthdays so they have lots of books available to them if and when they want to read.
Reading is my favourite thing to do and I am so pleased that love has passed down to both my boys. This post has some amazing tips!
This is such a great list of tips! We do all of the things you’ve mentioned plus one other thing that we’ve done since my son was born. That’s having subtitles on EVERYTHING we watch. It’s such a small thing but it encourages active reading and helps build up vocabulary visually and aurally so win-win. 🙂
We’re in a Julia Donaldson phase at the moment. Room on the Broom, Stick Man and The Snail and the Whale are my son’s favourites.
I really hope my son loves reading! I tried to read to him the other day but he just cried. Maybe he’s a bit too young at the moment!
I’ll be following some of these tips for sure.
I definitely agree reading is so important! I’ll read to my daughter before bed & ask her questions about the story. She also has an area with her bookshelf & she’ll occasionally “read” the books where she looks at the pictures & comes up with a story.
Reading was always a massive thing for me as a kid. I honestly feel like finding books that interest me is the most important!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan