“Books are uniquely portable magic.” - Stephen King
This quote describes a book very well, for it indeed can enthral the reader, transporting them into an entirely different world of its own. It is also the ultimate teacher, offering lessons on everything from self-improvement to the inspiring journeys of remarkable people. Beyond this, fiction books create immersive worlds, drawing us deeply into the lives of their characters and making us feel like a part of their stories.
It can also develop your vocabulary and speaking/writing skills by refining your flow of words. With several benefits, you would still be hard-pressed to find avid readers. It isn’t entirely surprising, since reading is a habit you need to cultivate as a child, something that many people do not consciously focus on. It doesn’t magically develop when you are a teenager or an adult. If that is the case, how do we make children voracious readers? How can we make books exciting for children?
There are a few ways to make children pick up the habit very young:
Give the gift of stories
It is no surprise that children love receiving gifts. Hence, the easiest way to make them read a book is to give them one as a present. Start with buying them a comic book or a 100-page one with pictures as a birthday gift. You can also give them books whenever they accomplish a specific goal, as a reward. This will make them mentally associate books with happiness, which in turn will stimulate them to establish a strong relationship with books.
Power of reading aloud
You can tempt your children to pick up a book and start ready by using this tip. Start by reading out a few passages and stop right where it gets exciting. This will prompt them to pick up the book and start reading. Piquing their curiosity is a great way to attract their attention and channel it into reading.
Introduce them to libraries and bookshops
Libraries and bookshops are the best places to view a wide array of books under one roof. Going through multiple titles and genres will expand their perspectives and help them develop their thought process. Take them to a library and let them choose the books that they want to borrow. This will give them the opportunity to access and pick multiple books. You can guide them to surf through books to identify the ones they like. Borrowing them for a brief period like a week or ten days will aid them in increasing their speed of reading. In turn, this will make them read more books and develop their knowledge. A bonus is that they also widen their imagination through fictional books, which improves their creativity.
Children book club
When it comes to children, peer influence is the best way to make them warm up to anything. A child is more likely to do something if they see a friend doing it and enjoying the process. You can bring together a group of like-minded parents and children and form a book club where children discuss the books that they have read. This allows for an interesting exchange of ideas where they learn about different books and genres that exist. Thereby, they learn new concepts and read new stories consistently. Another advantage is that they learn how to narrate the premise of a book - this improves their descriptive writing skills.
Lights, camera, action
A good way to make reading fun is by telling your child to enact what they read. This will not only ensure that they read the book and retain information but also present it creatively. They can attempt different voices for various characters while maintaining a specific tone for the role of a narrator. Your child will enjoy the experience a lot, which will prompt them to voluntarily adopt reading as a hobby.
Set up a reading space for them
You can choose a cosy corner of the house, set up blankets and pillows and make a tiny reading corner in the house. Your child can choose a book of their choice and sit in the exclusive reading space and read to their heart’s content.
Assign a reading project
Here is a way to make reading more fun, especially if your child loves art. You can assign them a project wherein they read a book or parts of it, sketch out important characters and create a story thread out of it. This will make them fully engrossed in the book and will help them pick up minute details to weave a picture story out of it.
Create a home book basket
Take a basket and add a list of books that your child would like to it. You can keep it in your child’s study room and bedroom where they stay the most. The child would more likely pick up a book and start reading when they see books lying around. When they browse through books and pick one, they would consequently spend less time playing video games or watching television.
Build a book chart
Create a book chart with the books that they have set aside for the year. Have a bunch of stickers to add to the chart every time they complete a book. The visual representation will motivate them to read more and add stickers to the chart. You can modify the chart from time to time to keep the list updated.
To sum it all up, a book can be a wonderful guide and companion to your children. But, remember to instill the habit in them early. Following these tips can aid you in making books more appealing for children, which will make them pick up the habit early in life. Let your child into the magical world of books and watch them transform into the happiest version of themselves. Happy reading!
