Ten Top Tips to Motivate Your Child to Read
- Make time for reading – reading should be an enjoyable experience, not a rushed and hurried one
- Set aside a regular time to read with your child
- Choose interesting material but ensure it is not above the reading ability of your child
- Try creating a comfortable, dedicated reading area
- Offer your child a wide variety of reading material (joke books, non-fiction, comics, magazines, graphic novels – the list is endless …)
- Buddy read with your child
- Don’t underestimate the value of a good picture book – especially for struggling or reluctant readers
- Kids love a funny book!
- Show your child that you love reading too!
- Provide access to a wide range of books (create a home library; use a public library; with a Kindle you can download a wide variety of free books and all ebooks are cheaper to buy than hard copy)
Ten Top Tips to Keep Your Child Reading
- Create a reading area
- Encourage reading at home and everywhere else (practice reading menus, instructions, information boards, film and TV credits … show them reading is everywhere)
- Act as a role model and let your child see you read
- Make connections between reading and real life
- Keep reading materials in the house and make them easily accessible
- Visit your local library – make this a regular trip
- Talk to your child about what they are reading – show an interest
- Expose your child to different book genres – if they always read fantasy novels, give them a science fiction or adventure story to read.
- Support your child- help them when they are struggling and talk to their English teacher if you feel your child needs more help
- ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO FIND THE TIME TO READ EVERY DAY. Try setting a specific time of the day aside to read. This could be a time where your child reads alone, to you or with you. Make reading a family activity.