help your kids love to read!
15 Ways to Get Your Kids Reading More
Have a variety of book genres available for your child to read. Include fiction, non-fiction, encyclopedias, dictionaries, picture books, biographies, magazines and cookbooks.
Be sure to have books available in every room of your home. A home full of books is shown to foster a love of reading in children.
Get two copies of a book you would like to read aloud to your child and have your child follow along in the book as you read to them.
Play POPCORN reading. Have your child start reading and when they are ready for you to take over they say “POPCORN”. You continue reading where they left off. You can go back and forth like this as long as it’s fun!
Make sure to model reading. It’s important for your child to see YOU reading for pleasure often! Children are more likely to value reading if they see that YOU value reading.
Try doing D.E.A.R. time together. D.E.A.R. time stands for “Drop Everything And Read”. Anyone in the family can call for D.E.A.R. time. When it’s called, everyone drops what they are doing, grabs a book and starts to read!
Find a book series your child loves. Book series are a powerful way to get your kids fully invested and motivated to read. Through book series, children become deeply connected to the characters and stories being woven throughout the series. Kids become highly motivated to continue reading when they become invested in the plot and characters.
Read aloud to your child every day -this allows your child to fall even more in love with books, stories and characters.
Get the audio-book companion to the book your child is reading. Have your child listen to the audio-book and follow along with their own copy of the book. This is an excellent strategy to use with reluctant readers.
Bring your child to the local library so they can get their very own library card! Sign up for any reading programs that your library has to offer.
If there is a movie version of the book your child is reading-plan a movie night to celebrate when they finish the book. Let your child pick dinner for the movie night to make it extra special.
Create a reading chart for your child to keep track of how many books they’ve read or how many minutes they’ve read!
Start a book club with your child. Read the same book together and decide that after each chapter you will meet to discuss the book!
Be sure to carve out time everyday for your child to read-this will help instill in them the habit of daily reading.
Create a cozy reading nook in your home. (See inspiration below on how to create a cozy reading nook)
language & Literacy
How to Create a Cozy Reading Nook
Find a small, quiet corner somewhere in your home.
Separate the space using a canopy, a room separator or a bookshelf.
Add a beanbag chair, reading chair or large pillows
Fill the reading nook with soft, cozy elements such as a rug, cozy blankets, soft pillows and stuffed animals.
Add a bookshelf or large book basket.
Fill bookshelf or basket with a wide variety of books including fiction, non-fiction, picture books and biographies.
Lastly, add a lamp to create a soft glow inside the reading nook.