In the age of iPads, Xboxes, PlayStations, and TikTok, convincing your little one to pick up a book and read can be tricky. Despite the many potential distractions, there are plenty of ways to make reading seem more enticing and appealing to your children; you just need to get creative!
Activities to Encourage Reading
There’s no questioning the benefits of picking up reading as a hobby. Not only does it generally boost your child’s intellectual development and performance in school, but it also expands their minds and broadens their creative horizons!
If you’re struggling with how to encourage children to read, Ashbridge School has plenty of suggestions to make your little ones avid bookworms. Take a look at our five activities to encourage reading below!
Create a Reading Nook
The house is filled with distractions. From blurring TVs to smartphones buzzing with notifications every five minutes, it’s hard for little ones to escape the temptations of technology and fully immerse themselves in a book.
In order to fully allow their imaginations to travel to the far-off fantasy lands that await them between the pages, why not create a quiet and tranquil spot for your child to relax into a story?
Whether it’s a small tent, lit up with fairy lights in the garden or a comfy chair in their bedroom next to the bookshelf, reading nooks come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Work with your child to create the perfect spot for them, and get them excited about sitting down in their special space to read.
Swap Books with Friends
A great way to make reading more interactive and sociable is to partake in book swaps. Whether it’s friends from school, cousins, or even siblings, get in touch with other parents and encourage them to ask their little ones to swap books with your child.
By introducing this social aspect, children are more likely to be enthused about reading, keen to finish books quicker, and discuss them with their friends and peers.
Visit the Library
Plan a day out around reading! Regularly visiting your local library and giving your children the opportunity to explore the many books available to them is a fantastic way to foster their interest in reading.
Children love making independent decisions, so give them the freedom to roam the kids’ section of the library and pick books out for themselves. With the ability to make their own choices, children are bound to be far more proactive and keen to read the stories that appeal to their taste!
Plenty of local libraries even host events and storytelling sessions, with activities to encourage reading. Take a look at what’s on your library’s agenda and take your little ones along to get them excited about books.
Read Together
Taking the time to sit down with your child and read to each other is an excellent way to create lasting memories that both of you will cherish forever. Little ones love nothing more than spending time with their parents, and vice versa!
You could take turns reading to each other, or even assign each other different characters to role-play as you read, to make things a little more fun and exciting.
Even if this is just for twenty minutes before bed, it’s a great way to make reading a part of your child’s daily routine and something they’ll look forward to before drifting off to sleep.
Create Your Own Stories
One of the best things about reading is how much it inspires young minds. When your little one finishes a book, why not challenge them to take inspiration and create their own stories – either with those same characters or maybe their very own.
If you’re looking for fun ways to encourage reading, you could both find ways to integrate your children’s names or even their favourite teddy bears’ names into stories to make books feel that little bit more personal and exciting to them.
Get in Touch with Ashbridge
Now that you’ve got a better idea of how to encourage children to read, it’s time to pick up a few books to get your little ones started with their new hobby.
Here at Ashbridge, we’re committed to encouraging young individuals to learn at their own pace and develop hobbies and interests that inspire them. To find out more about the Ashbridge Ethos and how things work at our private school in Lancashire, including our Pre-Schools and Nurseries, visit our website or contact us today.
