Have you had a hard time motivating your children to read? Don’t lose hope. We have all been there. As a mom, I had to try to find creative ways that made an impact on my children to want to read and enjoy books. Here are some ideas that I found to be helpful:
*Bed-time stories– Although considered traditional, it had a magical affect that worked for me. There is something about snuggling up with your child and reading a book together that seems to never grow old. My children longed for that moment and it seemed as if they never wanted me to leave,but requested story after story each night. That is a perfect opportunity to take turns to read, ask questions, and to enjoy books together.
*Trips to the Library– Have a tradition to go to the library and enjoy the new books that arrived. Find out what kinds of books they like and introduce them to new styles or series. In addition, make sure to have time to sit in a special area to read together. This can make it exciting for them each time.
*Visit Authors– Meeting an author can help children make a special connection with books and motivate them to read a series or find out more about other authors.
*Read under the starry night– This is not just a school event. My children still remember when I took them outside as we layed on the blanket reading a book with a flashlight under the starry night. Something so simple, yet made such a lasting impression that they often wanted to repeat.
*Audio Books– Car rides can be long and that can be the perfect time to introduce your children to audio books. This can benefit struggling readers as well. For more information, go to https://www.weareteachers.com/audiobooks-benefit-students/
*Create a Word Wall/Board– Make it an exciting moment when your children find a word that they do not know the meaning of. Encourage them to add it to their Word Wall and give them incentives when they use it during the day. Having a family competition with these words make it fun as you learn together.
*Read the book before seeing the movie– If there is a movie based on a book, make sure to read the book before watching the movie. Then, you can compare and talk about the differences. Nine out of ten, you will prefer the book over the movie.
*Get excited and be a role-model– Lastly, always lead by example as we show them that we enjoy reading ourselves. More importantly, get excited about their big and small victories when they are learning how to read or when they are reading more.
Encouragement can fill in the learning gaps as we help our children to learn.