As long as there are kids and books, motivating children to read is an ongoing challenge for parents. Reading is, and will always be, essential not only for schools but even in the digitally-driven business world where communication is now mostly done over text messaging and emails. Thus, reading with comprehension and effective communication are both imperative to be taught and learned at an early age. Children will benefit a lot from reading for pleasure during their school years and even as they enter into adulthood.
One study, with more than 17,000 individuals, found that students who read for pleasure excel more in spelling and vocabulary as well as Math; this was concluded after taking notes of the subjects' reading habits and academic performance as kids. The link was shown to be four times stronger than those students with parents having a graduate degree. The following are a few useful tips that parents can follow to motivate their kids to read and turn their reluctance into eagerness.
1Show Interest In Your Child's Reading
Feedbacks and responses are powerful factors in motivating your child to become a good reader. Genuine praises for your child's efforts work a long way, so be generous in giving them. Reading for pleasure introduces new things and ideas to kids, providing them a great advantage in school. When you commend their efforts, your child will be able to grasp things more quickly and effectively compared to their non-reading friends.
E-readers are now a trend. They have paved the way for the new generation to get back into reading. The seemingly endless innovations in technology have provided easy access to various stories and topics that will catch the interest of a reluctant reader, thus providing well-suited learning opportunities and, at the same time, increasing your kid's self-esteem and confidence in class.
2Make Use Of Gadgets And Apps
Useful reading apps can be simply installed in your gadgets, such as your smartphone or tablets. Installing such apps provides a safe zone for kids to read. Kids can do their reading without coming across inappropriate content, which is the cause of concern by most parents.
Parents can take control of what their children can only access. Also, parents can set timers for each of the different activities that their kids do. As a parent, using your digital devices, like your smartphones, is a great advantage.
3Let Them Choose
One of the best ways for a child to excel academically is through reading for pleasure. However, teaching a child to embrace reading takes a lot more than just handing over a book. Allowing a child to choose what they want to read helps a lot in developing a reader for life.
Regardless if it's a comic book, a magazine, or a novel, kids can become more engaged in reading when they choose what they read. They tend to retain more of what they have read. To help your young reader to succeed, give them the freedom to pick what they want to read.
4Make Use Of Technology
We all know that with technology, our ways of learning are changing. And this can significantly benefit the children and their reading skills. Making use of technology in the classroom, such as tablet e-readers, can boost the students' self-esteem and confidence.
Students who grow up and live in this digital age are thus provided by this technology with a familiar outlet for learning and growth. Improved reading skills and boosting self-esteem through technology can have a beneficial domino effect on the other aspects of a student's life. We have all the digital tools available to take advantage of.
Enjoying reading is an essential element for kids to build their reading skills easily. As they read more, they are encouraged to take on more reading challenges. It is crucial to seek help as soon as you detect your child has a learning problem. Your child's struggles in reading might only be due to simple reasons that can be easily addressed. Encouraging your child to love reading and become a full-fledged reader is a vital role you have to play in helping them succeed in school and their adult life as well.
Those who read a lot are the most successful people in the world. The fact that reading is the way to nearly all information and knowledge is not so surprising at all! That is a sure way to lifelong learning. As a parent, it is one of your crucial responsibilities to guide and help your child to love reading; this is one thing that will always be worth your energy and time.