Stimulating reading habit in children – Every parent wants to cultivate a reading habit in their child. Book reading keeps children engaged and prevents their unhealthy interaction with smartphones. It also boosts children’s intellect and infuses self-confidence
So, it has become indispensable for parents to cultivate reading habits in children. Below are the tactics that can prove helpful in this regard:
Start at an early age
If you want to cultivate reading habits in a child, read him stories from a book at an early age. It will make your child understand the value of books. He will make friends with them. Also, stories encouraging good ethics will contribute to a positive upbringing.
Mark some specific time for reading to your child. It will open a new world to him. He will learn new words and ideas. It will polish his intellect and make him a brilliant student. This reading routine can also foster a strong connection between the parent and the child.
Cultivate book culture
Kids learn from their environment. Children are naturally curious. If you have books in your house, your kids will explore them. It will induce a bond between the books and children.
Your children subconsciously replicate your behavior. You are their first influencer and role model. If there is an environment of book reading in your house, your children will develop a love for reading.
Visit libraries
If you want to cultivate reading habits in your children, there can be no better way than visiting the library. They will familiarise themselves with new genres and authors. They will also learn from the environment of the library.
Visiting libraries is essential to the growth of your children. The majority of us take kids to fun spots. But we never take our children to libraries and book fairs. That’s why the new generation is so aversive to the ideas of books.
Let the children explore
Allow your children to explore different genres. Don’t try to impose on them what you love reading. It will divert them to something more interesting.
Kids love exciting stories that contain thrilling adventures. It broadens their imaginations and deeply engages them with characters. If such books end on some ethical note, it also encourages positivity.
Reread favorite stories
Children don’t get tired of listening to their favorite tales. Adults have the opposite case. So, rereading the stories loved by your children must not displease you. It helps children with their vocabulary. Children may also develop a love for books by searching for similar stories.
Read with expressions
Make things interesting if you want your children to develop book-reading habits. Don’t read to your children with a dull expression. It puts them off and makes them absentminded.
Try to put yourself into the shoes of the character. Your tone and expressions should replicate the intensity of the moment. It will engage your audience much better.
Ask questions
After reading a story to children, hold a discussion. Ask relevant questions about the lead characters. Try to understand what lessons they have learned. Such an activity encourages reading habits in children.
If you can connect the story to real life, it will help make things more interesting.
Challenges and rewards
You can cultivate book reading habits in your children by setting challenges and rewarding them for fulfilment. You can arrange a small contest like testing your kids’ vocabulary. Then, gift something to the one who wins the competition. It will inspire children to read books with better attention.
How does book reading benefits children?
Book reading plays a significant role in the healthy growth of children. It polishes their cognitive capabilities and improves their educational performance. Books also expand their imagination and creativity. It helps them in problem-solving.
Below are the advantages of book reading for children:
Communication skills
In today’s era, soft skills have gained excessive importance. They play a vital role in making a successful career. Book reading helps children improve their communication skills. They speak with fluency that instils confidence.
Academic success
Book reading habit in children also contributes to their academic success. It cultivates a tendency to explore new things. They read their academic books with the same passion.
Academic books no longer feel like a burden to them. They enjoy reading content, absorbing it better than their fellows. It helps them achieve academic excellence.
Parent-child relationship
Modern world distractions have created a gap between parents and children. By reading books to your kids, you can close this gap. You can develop a more intimate relationship with them. It promotes a healthy environment in the house.
It proves of significant importance in the teenage life of children. Without close attachment, they never openly share their problems. They need your emotional support to face challenges.
Improved focus
The digital era has significantly reduced the attention span of the younger generation. It cannot focus on a specific thing for more than a few minutes. Book reading can solve this dilemma.
Readers enjoy a much better attention span than other people.
Book reading also instils discipline in children. The knowledge they receive from books makes them responsible. With focus and discipline, they are highly likely to succeed in life.
Empathy
Empathy is an essential trait of human beings. It makes us different from other beings on this planet. But materialism has stripped us of this attribute. The majority only cares about the feelings that are critical to them. It diminishes their chances of growth and success in personal and professional life.
Books make children empathetic. Books also improve their listening skills. They begin to value the emotions of other people. It enables them to establish strong connections in life.
Cognitive development
Book reading significantly contributes to the cognitive development of children. They get a better understanding of the world around them. Their knowledge helps them overcome the challenges presented by modern life.
We perceive and interpret the world around us through our intellect. Book reading improves children’s intellectual capacity. They process the information with improved accuracy.
