Research suggests that reading for pleasure is also directly linked to academic attainment. Evidence shows that children who read books often at age 10, and more than once a week at age 16, gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16 than those who read less regularly.
So how can we encourage children to love reading? Here are 10 ideas to help . . .
Its difficult to relate to something that you have never seen or experienced – children have wonderful imaginations but they need something to work with. Connect the story to real life. For example, if you have read (or are about to read) a story about a forest or a farm animal, go to visit one. Discuss the book on your visit, you could even take it with you. Or when you’re reading the book at home later, talk about your visit and how it relates to the story.
Try reading material that incorporates your child’s interests. It doesn’t always have to be a story book, a factual autobiography or a children's news magazine might interest them more. Visit the library or a local bookshop to let them see the huge variety of options available and allow them to choose what they think looks interesting.
The simplest way to engage children in their reading is to ask questions, and encourage them to ask you questions too. You could ask:
Lots of stopping and starting will take the joy out of a story and can knock children’s confidence so be careful about picking up on every little mistake. Quite often a child will realise if something doesn’t make sense and go back to correct it themselves anyway. You can always go back to review words at a natural break.
Make sure reading is seen as a positive experience and books are treats. Give lots of praise for their hard work and perseverance. You could consider a reward chart for pages or whole books read building up to a new book.
Reading is hard work and a child’s attention span is fairly short so take your cue from them when they’ve had enough. Being forced to concentrate for too long will take the enjoyment right out of it.
For instance:
Offer lots of choice and different ways to connect with reading material. Listening to audio books encourages their imagination – you could give them the book to follow along with. Let them explore different genres and authors. Ask what their friends enjoying reading? Ask for recommendations from other parents and their teachers.
You may well have stopped reading much yourself, but your attempts at encouraging your child to love reading might be thwarted if they don’t see that you love reading too. Be a reading role model – try to find time to enjoy reading in front of them – magazines, the newspaper and recipe books all count!
Don’t make reading into a big thing! Build it into your everyday routine. Actively talk about books every day and ask what things they’ve been reading about. Ensure books are easy to access and always carry a book with you. Get children involved in reading the recipe for dinner or the instructions for your board game – it’s all experience and adds to their confidence.