“The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more you learn,
the more places you’ll go.”
Dr Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut”
Many parents ask me how they can encourage their child to read more.
Here are a few ideas:
- Be a role model. Let your child see you set aside time to enjoy reading.
- Have a special time to read aloud to your child and encourage them to read to you.Make reading a habit that is fun and special. Create a routine for reading. It may be after dinner or at bedtime.
- Encourage your child to borrow books from the school library and make sure they have a library bag that protects the books and keeps them from being displaced. I’ve had so many distraught parents come to my library to apologise about a lost library book over the years. If your child is bringing home books from the library that are unsuitable, too easy or too difficult, write a note to the librarian. They love to help.
- Take trips to public libraries to browse favourite books and topics. Visit when they have events like storytelling or readings by authors. If your child is a reluctant reader, help them find books that have information about favourite sports, animals or hobbies, etc. It doesn’t matter if they read Fiction or Nonfiction as long as they are reading. It may be worth subscribing to a magazine either online or as a hard copy.
- Take your child to bookshops or secondhand book sales and let them wander and browse.
- If your child’s having reading difficulties, it’s essential that you keep up good communication with their teacher and see if you can give extra assistance at home.
- Grandparents may like to read with their grandchildren. If Grandparents aren’t close by, they can read books using Facetime or via your favourite mode of online communication—perhaps while you prepare dinner.