Five ways to make your children enjoy their reading

If you ask my parents, what I did first as a toddler, their answer would be very simple: Writing. Of course 2 years old Morgana, didn’t know how to write, but there are some solid proofs-aka pictures, of myself showing a serious interest on grabbing a pen and a notebook. It seems like from the beginning I wanted to dive deep into the written world, so it’s no surprise that as soon as I was able to, I fell in love with reading. There’s something magical about finding how some combined words can welcome you to unexplored worlds from the comfort of your most beloved room. Now, where my love for reading came from? I like to say that’s part of my spirit, but if what are you looking for is a recipe to make your children start devouring books after books, I’m afraid I got you some bad news, your children will either love reading or not. Isn’t this horrible? No, not really. Stories come in a myriad of ways these days, your little one might not be fond of spending an hour watching words flow in a page, but they might enjoy hearing the story from an audiobook.Or they could prefer learning about it on a home-made puppet show.

In any case, here are some tips to make that ‘’reading’’ time the most enjoyable for you and your kids.

Read along them: This is a fundamental step, seating with your son or daughter in a nice corner of your home and walking together into the experience of learning something new, not only ensures that you`ll be there to solve any question they might have, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to deepen your bond.

Pick the right story: Depending on their age, you may be the person in charge of choosing to what amazing reality you’re travelling before bedtime. Beyond the obvious selection of age-level comprehension and vocabulary, you could make sure the plot of the story resonates with their interests. Are they into exploring? Cars? Animals? Cookies?

Decor your reading place: This is a fun activity to do with all the family, add pillows. bean bags. warm lights, that knitted quilt you’ve somewhere in the drawers, and of course don’t forget to invite your children’s favourite stuffed animals. If you are feeling creative, you can go as far as convert a room or space into a castle or a jungle.

Be expressive: One of my most cherished memories with my mom, is those times when I was a kid and she would come to my room to read me that story that I had already heard a thousand of times before, sure, this might be due because at that moment I had a tiny obsession with the Beauty and the Beast, but it was my mom’s acting when it came to reading the Beast’s lines or the sounds that Bella’s horse, Philippe did, what I carry nowadays with such love.

Let them analyze everything: Children are curious, that’s a global fact, so it’s only natural to have them asking questions about the storyline, a particular scene, the characters or even what is going to happen next.And after the story is over, you can bet they are going to keep thinking about it, so why don’t use the opportunity to have them write their first book review? One resource I’ve found very useful is this one provided by Twinkl: https://www.twinkl.com.pe/resource/t-l-1073-my-book-review-writing-worksheet.

There are many other ways to walk your kids into the marvelous experience that’s reading, so as long as you are there, don’t be afraid to experiment the tactics that you find more relevant for your littles ones. And remember, reading is meant to be fun.