5 Ways to Encourage Reading With Your Child

Reading with your child is the best way to develop their language skills, encourage them to read on their own, and teach them how to love reading. Here are five ways you can get started today!

Read with your child, but don’t just read. Talk about what you are reading.

Talk about a book you read recently. How did the book start? Did it keep your interest? What did you like or not like about it? Why did you like or not like it? Make sure to talk about the characters and their motivations, as well as what was happening in each scene in terms of plot development and conflict resolution.

Make the story come alive.

Make the story come alive by using different voices for each character. Ask questions about what they think will happen next in the story, or ask them questions about the characters, such as: What do you think would make this person happy? How would you feel if something happened to that character? Encourage your child’s imagination by asking them how they think they’d react if they were in this situation.

Let your child choose books that interest him or her.

Give your child a choice of books to read. Even if your child has a favorite series or author, encourage him or her to choose something new. You may be surprised by their interest in other types of books!
Encourage reading for pleasure and not just for school work. Children will be more interested in reading if they have some say in what they read, but this can also lead them down the path of thinking that reading is only useful for schoolwork, which isn’t always true!

Make it a habit.

Make reading a part of your daily routine. You can read to your child before bedtime, when you are waiting for something, or in the car with older children or when driving alone with a younger one in the back seat who needs entertainment!

Use technology as a reading supplement.

• You can also use technology as a supplement to reading. There are many different types of technology that can help your child learn how to read, but it should never be used in place of reading. Technology can help you and your child learn to read, but it should not replace reading.
  What kind of technology is out there? There are tons of different technologies that can help your child learn how to read! For example:
• The iPad app by PlayTales allows children who are learning how to read and write the ability to listen or watch stories on their tablet device.
  The e-book application called Easyread allows children who struggle with dyslexia or other reading disabilities find success in their own time because the text is adjustable for each student’s needs and progress level.

Hopefully, you’re feeling more confident about how to get your child to read more. And remember: even if it doesn’t seem like your child is interested in reading right now, that doesn’t mean he or she won’t be someday soon. Keep encouraging him or her to read, whether that means reading aloud together or handing over some favorite books in the evening before bedtime. The more familiar children feel with books, the better!
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