Reading is essential for the development of grade-schoolers. According to research, reading affects literacy skills, helps in social interactions between adults and children, and also encourages children to engage with the world.
Reading is a constant source of information and knowledge. It opens a child to new possibilities and widens his horizon.Now that we know why reading has such a huge role in the upbringing of grade-schoolers let’s look at ways to encourage your grade-schooler to read and feel open to reading challenges and developing reading skills.
1.Start reading yourself:
Children mimic the actions of their parents. If you want to make your child fond of reading, you must start reading yourself. Read books for information, for pleasure, to enhance your skills, and to connect with the world from a different angle.
When you start reading more than you already do, it will automatically trigger your child, and he will be drawn toward reading.
2.Encourage your grade-schooler to read anything they like:
Different children have different tastes in the books. When you are looking to make your grade-schooler adapt to reading, it is best you encourage him to read the books he/she likes, even if it means going to the library and getting the same book for the 100th time.
Studies have shown that re-reading plays a very important role in enhancing speed and accuracy, which can make the children confident and flexible.
3.Engage with the story:
If you want to make, your child see books as more than just literature, start engaging with the story by asking your child questions about the characters and his thoughts while reading and make him relate the story to his experience. Use how, why, and when to question him so he can connect with the plot and develop an interest in reading more books.
4.Make reading a reward:
Just like you make watching TV or phone a reward for your child after they have done their school work, try to treat reading the same way. If you impose reading on your grade-schooler, he will see it as punishment and will try to get rid of books as soon as he can. So make reading fun for him where he can explore new possibilities.
Once you start investing your free time in reading instead of social media or TV, he will pick this habit from you and will read and talk about books in a very loving and enthusiastic way.
5.Give room to your child for improvement:
When a grade-schooler starts reading, he makes mistakes because there are many new words for him that he cannot understand or pronounce. Instead of losing your temper and pointing toward his mistakes, try to praise him for the efforts he is making.
Help him understand different words and make him understand how to say different words. When you are gentle with your child, he will see an opportunity for improvement and will happily take it instead of running away from books because he feels being wrong equal’s punishment and anger.
6.Plan reading sessions together:
You can encourage your grade-schooler to become fond of reading when you read with him. Try to plan some reading sessions together where you both read to each other aloud. As you do this, often you will see your child will start reading more, and you will read less. As he gets older, he would connect with different books, and you don’t even need to say to him again to read because he would have developed the habit.
7.Make reading creative:
You can also make reading creative so that your child doesn’t get bored. Try to make him write some of his favorite lines from the book or new words on colorful paper sheets. Or he can draw something he loved in a book. You can combine all of his creative pieces and make a book or pamphlet to which he can keep adding new illustrations too.
8.Elevate the status of the books:
Kids try to avoid books because they find them monotonous and frustrating, but you can change this image by creating a positive aura of books. Try to highlight the best things books can provide and take your child out to different places like libraries or reading areas which can be fun for him. Once your grade-schooler sees books as their friend, they will not be reluctant to read them and be around them.
The Bottom Line:
Books can take your child to a very different world where he can learn new things, enhance his capabilities and develop new perspectives. These were eight ways through which you can encourage your grade-schooler to read. Use them, and you will see your child developing a habit of reading books.
