Guest Author - Marie Rippel
Encouraging Reading
Whether you are a homeschooling parent or simply want to take an active part in shaping your child's education, there's no doubt that getting kids to read on a regular basis can be a important. Here are suggestions for helping your children look forward to reading.
1. Make the library a fun part of your regular routine.
Work reading into your family routine, just as you do other aspects of life such as meal times, school, outdoor play, and visits to Grandma's house. Take weekly trips to the library, checking out books for each member of the family, including yourself. Give your children the freedom to select titles that appeal to their interests and their sense of humor.
2. Include storytime as a daily or bedtime ritual.
Read to and with your children every day - whether it's a half hour in the afternoon or one or two bedtime stories before you tuck them in at night. Let your child choose his or her favorite stories and add new titles to the mix every so often.
3. Keep TV time to a minimum and add books to the entertainment mix.
Let your children know that television is to be a highlight, not the entire focus, of their hours spent at home. But don't do it in an overly-restrictive way; instead, have them select one or two favorite shows to watch each day, or maybe just 4 or 5 shows per week. When their shows aren't on, keep the television switched off, and feed them a regular diet of books, comics and children's magazines to enjoy right along with toys, games and art supplies. When casually offered as "just another form of entertainment," books take on a new fascination of their own.
4. Tell them they're allowed to stay up a little later if they're reading.
Studies have shown that the brain tends to better absorb and recall the last thing you were doing or thinking about before you fell asleep. This is why it makes sense to read before bedtime. For older children (say, age 8 or 9) who may be growing out of their old bedtime, present them with a new opportunity: they get to stay up half an hour later as long as they're reading in bed. If you don't feel that little ones are ready for a later bedtime, simply make bedtime a half an hour earlier than you normally would, and then fill that extra time with storybook reading.
5. Give kids their own spot on the bookshelf.
Children who grow up in reading families are more likely to embrace reading as a pleasurable, lifelong pastime. Not only can you help to reinforce a love of reading by showing them "we love books and reading in our family," you can also give them pride of book ownership. Offer kids their own spot on the family bookshelf - preferably on a lower shelf where they can easily see their favorite titles. Make exploring the family bookshelf a regular event that every member of the household enjoys. Encourage your children to return their books to the family bookshelf when they've finished reading.
Getting your child to look forward to reading doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience. Instead of approaching reading as a dreaded chore must be suffered through or an obstacle that stands in the way of doing what they really want, make reading an enjoyable part of their daily routine.
