Getting the kids to develop a reading habit in today’s gadget-obsessed world is a great challenge for the parents. But there are ways this can be done and that too at the right age, so that the child or children take to this habit as they grow older. Here are some tips that may help in this direction.
- Get the Story Books to Match the Age: Obviously, story books for kids elicit the maximum interest from the children than any other genre, and if you wish to sit down with them, buy books that have stories the children can immediately relate to.
- Use as Much Expressions as Possible: Children themselves become quite expressive when narrating even minor happenings. So, bring on all the fun while reading and see how the kids listen with rapt attention and make all sorts of faces themselves.
- Get Books with Familiar Names: The best option is to order a personalised story book that has characters with the names of your kids, going on an adventure trip or some such theme, and you will find the children will not only listen but snatch the book and would want to read it themselves.
- Create the Perfect Atmosphere: The options here are many. If it is bedtime, you can join the kids in their room and get them to cuddle around you so that they feel comfortable and may even sleep off half way through your reading. If it is the evenings, then the couch in the living room might be good enough for the closeness and comfort needed.
- Avoid Other Distractions: If you wish to do the book reading with kids, you might have to switch off your mobile and choose the time when there won’t be any visitors to disturb.
- Allot Sufficient Time: Whether it is the Personalised story book or other stuff, you should spare yourself at least an hour to an hour and a half to make an impact. Just making a cursory attempt won’t be of help.
- Make the Children Read Aloud: Depending on the age of the children you can make them read the stories from the book. To start with, you can make them read along with you so that the phonetics and stopping at the right places are done perfectly.
- Invest in Books: You will need to be liberal with buying books and that too the right kinds and not think of the costs.
- Gather More Kids If Possible: Children develop their own circle of friends in the neighbourhood. If those children wish to join the reading sessions, welcome them. It will add to the fun.
- Make it Regular: Follow the reading sessions and do them regularly not sporadically to gain maximum effect.
If done in the right way the children will gain an interest in reading books and that will stand them in good stead throughout their lives.
