Remember how exciting it was when reading finally “clicked” with your little one? After long hours of practicing sight words, letter sounds, and blends, eventually it all just came together. Perhaps the enthusiasm that accompanied the novelty of reading has slowly disappeared for your child. If this is true for your kiddo, don’t fret! Red Apple Reading has some suggestions that will rekindle your child’s love of reading and keep it going!
Interest
Perhaps the reason your kid’s reading habit has fizzled is due to a lack of appealing reading material. What interests your child? For instance, if your son loves monster trucks, track down some books about those mud monsters! Does your daughter light up when you take a trip to the aquarium? Then check out some library books about sea animals. The book your child likes might not be what you would choose for them; but if they are reading, that is what ultimately matters.
Environment
Sometimes a child’s environment hinders their ability to read. Does your home always seem in a constant state of chaos? If you have kids, there is a better than average chance that you answered yes to that question. I have four children, ages 4-15, and we live in a small house. At times it is challenging to find some peace and quiet. However, it is important that there be at least one room in the house that is relatively peaceful and conducive to reading. If you have a cozy, quiet nook somewhere in your home, it increases the likelihood that someone will be willing to curl up there with a good book!
Availability
Have you ever been hungry but found yourself in a situation where there is no food to eat? We can easily imagine how frustrating it would be to experience hunger without any relief. While it may not be as serious as physical hunger, some children experience a hunger for reading that cannot be satisfied because reading material is scarce. Make sure that your home has plenty of books, magazines, and other writings that are age appropriate for your little one. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you can’t afford to keep your house appropriately supplied. Libraries, thrift stores, discount web sites and used book stores are smart solutions for those of us on a budget. After all, it just makes good sense to reuse a good book!
Read Together
Another excellent way to keep your youngster reading is to read with her. There is no rule that forbids you to read aloud to your child because they can read for themselves. Many children still love to have this special time with mom or dad. If your older child isn’t keen on being read to, you can read the same book separately and discuss it together. Both of my daughters had a middle school teacher who assigned 3 or 4 books a year to her class and asked the parents to read them as well. Every couple of months we would meet with our children in the school library for a book club. This was a clever idea and sparked some good conversation between me and the girls.
Don’t stop fighting the battle to keep your kids reading. It may not always be easy, but the benefits are worth it. We would like to know how you keep your little one reading. Leave a comment below and share your tips with us.
