Just as the internet has opened up a whole new, unprecedentedly vast world of information to us, some other trends have made it unfashionable to read. People have grown allergic to anything longer than a couple of sentences. New tech is moving away from text and towards icons that make many of us think we are going back to the age of hieroglyphics. Books are being made into movies at an insane rate and no one even bothers to read the originals anymore.
There are exceptions, but it feels that children are systematically being discouraged from reading. You will probably agree that this is the worst thing this bibliophobic culture has done. Luckily, there are still a few things parents can do to help their children discover the wonders of reading.
Start as early as possible
It is never too early to start exposing your children to the spectacular world of literature. If you wish, you can begin even before they are born, reading to the pregnant belly. It is safe to say your child will not exactly follow the plot of the story being read to them, but they might become unconsciously aware of certain language patterns that will make stories more enjoyable for them down the road.
Reading stories should become a part of the everyday routine as early as possible. A study was done in 2015 that showed reading stories to children promoted improved brain development. In addition to this, reading stories to them will show them what the written word is capable of – creating entire worlds and producing emotions that would otherwise be unfamiliar to them. This is something money cannot buy.
Indirect can also work
Another good idea: make the world around your children letter-centric, so to say. For example, the wallpaper in your kids’ room could feature letters and words. Or, you can buy them letter blocks to play with. When choosing soup, go with alphabet soup. Fridge magnets also come in the form of letters.
You can simply let all of these exert a kind of an indirect influence on your children, exposing them to letters before they can even read. Or, if you wish, you can use these to play little reading games that will help them learn how to read and fall in love with letters.
Have comic books in your home
Kids love comic books. Always have, always will. The pictures that so clearly tell a story will get them so interested that they will want to find out exactly what is going on. At first, you can read the comic books to them, and later, you can encourage them to read them themselves. They will have only one way to do this – learn how to read. And since it will be in their interest to learn how to read, they will do this more quickly than they would in any other way.
Some experts recommend only kids’ comic books, but you will find out that they will love any comic book, as long as it is well-drawn and interesting enough. Of course, you will want to avoid violence and nudity, but these can still be comic books for adults. Kids can recognize a good story no matter what and do not be fooled, there are comic books that are better than many books out there.
Create a reading area
We live in a hectic world with myriad screens glaring at us from the moment we open our eyes until our head hits the pillow at the end of the day. In such a world, a cozy reading area can become a haven for the entire family. It will be a place where the entire household meets every day to spend some time “offline”, reading and discussing what is being read.
When setting up this area, you need to make sure all the technological distractions are nowhere near and that it is as comfortable as possible. Kids love reading while sitting on the floor (especially comic books), so you will want one of those comfy kids’ rugs that will also let them know this is also their space. You will also want to have enough light, but not too much. Remember, this is a place for peace and calm, as much as reading.
The first kid gets the ball rolling
The best thing about getting your child to love reading is that you only need to do it with the first one. Once the firstborn is hooked on the written word, the others will follow. They will see their big brother or sister having the time of their life reading comic books and books and they will rush to join them. Before you know it, you will hear your kids arguing which book is the best.
Instead of a Closing Word
To wrap things up, I will leave you with a quote from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis – “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”
Author: Tracey Clayton is a full time mom of three girls. She loves cooking, baking, sewing, spending quality time with her daughters and she’s passionate for writing. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love the life you live.” Find her on Facebook.
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