How to encourage your kids to read

Reading is very beneficial for the cognitive and social development of children. Indeed, it improves the kids’ social skills and improves their self-esteem, which is why it is necessary to help children like to read and engage in reading often. Here are a few tips to encourage children to read a good book.

1. Allow them to choose their own books

To encourage your children’s reading, you should let them choose what they want to read, even if that means they choose something you would not have chosen. Before it becomes an educational activity, reading must become a pleasure, which is why your little ones should be allowed to decide for themselves what they want to read in their own time and what not.

2. Make reading suggestions based on their interests

If your kids do not become interested in reading by themselves or find it hard to choose reading materials, make book suggestions reflecting their interests. Do this based on your knowledge of the child and the popularity of some books amongst the youth. For example, almost all young people enjoy the Twilight series and Harry Potter books. If you have a daughter, suggest romantic stories. If you have a son, introduce him to action and adventure stories with dragons, knights, and heroes.

3. Join a reading club

Reading clubs allow children to borrow dozens of books for free, meet authors and illustrators, collect stickers, and engage in my other (often free) activities connected to reading. Library and Archives Canada runs a free reading club for children in Canada that is offered at 2,000 libraries across the country. For more information, see http://www.clubdelecturetd.ca.

4. Find illustrated books

Some kids find it hard to focus on text without pictures for a long time, in which case you should find texts integrating visuals, such as comic books. They are fun and easy to read while also being educational and rich in knowledge. With comics, it’s a safe bet your kids will never see reading the same way.

These basic steps will help you to motivate your kids to engage in one of the most wonderful and rewarding activities – reading!