World Book Day is upon us – the kids are buzzing with excitement - sharing their ideas on what they would love to dress up as on this special day.
You’ve been told a million and one different options and are secretly debating how you will pull this off – but as always, you do!
Once the children have made a final decision – gulp! – it suddenly dawns on you that maybe you need to instil the reason why this day is celebrated, and to encourage the kids to reach for a book, more often than they actually do.
We celebrate and give homage to the world of fiction and non-fiction books to shine a light on the importance of reading, as well as recognising and promoting the benefits.
If the idea of switching the tablet for a paperback appears troublesome, we share our guide on making small, but mighty changes, to encourage and introduce a new love and interest, no matter their age.
Begin your reading journey from day one
Introducing books from as early as birth will allow babies to become familiar and interactive with them. Sensory books are ideal for young babies, encouraging their senses and hand-eye coordination, as well as being capable of touching and playing with them, will make them accustomed and hopefully have fun!
Read together
No matter their age, reading together will go a long way. Not only does this allow for bonding time and a good old cuddle, but this will help to inspire the kids to reach for the books, knowing that parent and child can have some well needed alone time. Making this a group activity provides opportunity for both to read which again, will only encourage your child to copy and want to join in.
Award chart
If your reading journey is unsuccessful, introducing an awards chart or something similar may be the route to go down. The chart doesn’t need to be making extravagant promises but having a visual representation on how far and how well they have come should spur them on to read more and ignite the fun in reading.
Day out at the library
Reading isn’t and doesn’t have to be boring! Make it an adventure and head to your local library. The kids will have an array of different books to choose from and will allow them to become familiar and be around more books than ever before. Look out special events, such as, ‘author events,’ this will be a fantastic opportunity to see the face behind the story and bring the book to life.
Encourage reading a book series
Some children may thrive off a book collection with multiple stories, like Harry Potter, for example. Introducing book series will revitalise an interest in reading as this will build inquisitiveness and make them engrossed into a magical escapism.
Books about *their* interests
Find books which focus on particular topics that your kids/teens are love and thrive off. If you pressure them into reading things that they're really not interested in, this could back fire and any hope of reading may subside. Introducing novels that make them curious and spark their interest will make it a little bit easier when convincing them to get lost in another world.
Lead by example
How do you expect your children to read, if they have never witnessed you doing the same thing? Demonstrating that you enjoy reading and would rather pick up a book than your phone will allow the kids to do the same. Children are professionals at copying us parents but I think this one would be a skill that we would love to stick around!
Video from BookTrust at www.booktrust.org.uk
Written by Laura, who you can follow on Twitter at @LauraJadeC20
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