Guest Post by Louise Alexander
How can I help my child with reading? Is this a question you’ve ever asked yourself?
Reading is an important part of a child’s emotional and intellectual development. Time and again, research shows that children who enjoy reading have an easier time understanding and learning other academic subjects. It develops vocabulary, increases attention span, promotes analytical thinking – all skills that enrich our appreciation of the world.
But a love of reading doesn’t always come naturally and some children need a little encouragement. A reluctance to read is not uncommon and fortunately there are many strategies that we can use to motivate children to read, the most important one, of course, being keeping it fun!
What else can you do to help your child with reading?
- Set time aside to read aloud together every day. Reading and hearing stories helps children to master concepts such as logic, judgement and cause and effect. Special time reading with a parent will help them to make good associations with reading and books.
- Make books and magazines visible everywhere in your home – on shelves, in baskets, or perhaps in a special cosy reading corner.
- Help them find books that reflect their other interests, and let them choose what to read. Try lots of different genres, such as fiction and non-fiction, books, magazines or graphic novels. Sometimes reluctant readers find non-fiction books that they can easily dip in and out of more accessible.
- Encourage everyday reading activities, like reading menus, recipes, road signs, the weather forecast or other practical information. This helps to develop reading skills in a non-intrusive way.
- Talk to your children about what they are reading. Encourage their curiosity; what has piqued their interest and where can they find out more? What kind of activities are they inspired to try out?
The book boxes designed by A Pocketful Of Books encourage this curiosity and help kids find books that they really enjoy. Each box really brings the book to life with surprise gifts and a tailor-made magazine packed with fun facts and activities, all inspired by the book – from art and craft to brain teasers, experiments and more.
Website: https://www.apocketfulofbooks.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apocketfulofbooks
