How to Encourage Your Child to Read
By Jean Bonnyman - FF/S
Research has proven again and again that children who read frequently for enjoyment are light years ahead of children who don’t read, and this especially shows up in the summer months. There is no time more significant for reading gains or losses than during the summer months. Here are some tips to encourage your child to read...
Model reading yourself. Make it a point to read books as an enjoyable, relaxing activity. Tell your child enthusiastically about a good book you are reading (obviously it would be a book you think your child would like). If reading is a family value, your child is far more likely to read than not read. Your child is much more likely to copy what you do than do what you say.
Reward reading. This is putting your money where your values are, but be careful here; do NOT pay your child to read. This devalues reading itself. Rather, invest in the books themselves. Give your child a generous book allowance for shopping at Barnes & Noble, or say something like, “You’ve had a great week! Let’s swing by the store and you can pick out a book. I’ll even treat you to a dessert.” By the way, if your child starts a book and doesn’t like it, let them return it. You wouldn’t want to read a book you don’t like; they don’t either. Remember, the goal is enjoyable reading.
Create an attractive reading environment. Comfortable furniture or a “reading space” beckons a reader. Some examples might be a special “reading chair” of your child’s choice, a hammock in an inviting place, or a reading nook (this is especially successful if it is in a private place like a loft space or window seat). Also, provide a bookcase for your child to display his or her books.
Provide magazine subscriptions. Not junk magazines of course, but good ones your child would enjoy. Sports, hobbies, travel, fashion…anything like this. Then, have some other magazines around the house you like, or ones that you think might capture your child’s interest. Don’t hesitate to nonchalantly leave a magazine open to an article you think might catch your child’s eye (like in the bathroom or on the kitchen table). For example, most teenagers will browse a National Geographic given the chance. A catchy picture with an article is excellent bait. Or, you might “just happen” to be looking at an article when your child is nearby and you can “innocently” say, “Wow! Look at the picture of this volcano!” See what happens and don’t give up if you don’t get a bite; keep fishing and trying different bait.
Don’t provide your child with too many distractions. The less television watching as a whole in the home, the better; and computer time needs to be kept in its place. In other words, a routine of work first without distraction and a family value of learning devalues passive recreation like television and gaming. The child that has everything, “too many toys,” is easily distracted by all the stimulation money can provide. This creates an “all play” kind of an attitude that is not realistic for the adult world – overindulgence kills love of learning and curiosity.
Guide your child to avoid too many activities. Feeling the pressure that their child must be well-rounded, parents often innocently schedule their child into multiple sports, arts and activities. Many kids can handle it all until they get to high school, but then the tougher academics kick in and a teen becomes sleep deprived, stressed out and struggles academically. Their lack of reading because of too many activities really shows up by high school if not before. Give your kids time to read, relax and catch up with themselves; help them to weed out their activities and cut down to one or two that specializes in what they enjoy.
GET READY FOR A READING SUMMER! Announce a family summer theme of reading. Research some popular titles you think your child would like; check with teachers and librarians for suggestions too. Then immediately start the summer off with a celebration trip to the bookstore. Take a family “reading and relaxation” vacation in a desirable (quiet) place like the beach. Tell your teen you will sponsor a “book club” type of lunch for several of their friends (this encourages a good peer group, too). If you have a long drive, listen to a book on tape. Every time a family member finishes a book, he or she gets to come up with the best (personal) reward just for fun. It can be anything from picking dinner to skipping a chore. Or you can have a family goal: everyone reads one book = dinner out; two books = Six Flags; three books = you get the idea.
Whatever you decide to do, take advantage of the summer months! Your kids will thank you for it later.
