We all want our children to have a reading habit that will help them grow up to be intellectual and knowledgeable adults. But we do not always know how to get them to read. Most of the time they have so much energy that they just cannot spare any time to sit and read, and sometimes they simply cannot read and so they do not want to. So, what should we do in such circumstances? Here is how to develop reading habits:
Adopting Reading Habits
You are the most important part of the equation!
How so, you ask? Studies show that children learn better by example (1). So, you need to be reading yourself. One of the best ways to help your child acquire a habit of reading is for you to do oral reading to them now and then. You should choose the book wisely too, as it should be similar to your child’s interests and at the same time, it should be quality work.
The child should NOT think of reading as a TASK!
One of the most common mistakes parents make, is to make their children read a strict amount of pages in a day, or to make them summarize the work to them. That should not be the case. Think about it this way: What would you prefer? Someone saying “You must read this or else…” or would you rather have them list some of the things they like you to read and let you choose when and how much you will read. Your children should not see reading as a task, but as a recreational activity, and you need to take part in it. You shouldn’t give them the book and disappear, or do the dishes, instead, you should accompany them and read a book yourself.
They need to be exposed!
The children mostly need a visual and textural stimulus to be into something. So, they need to be exposed to lots of books most of the time. That is why, it is beneficial for them to have a bookcase or another place of their own, in which books are held on the display. These mostly need to be on subjects that proved attractive to them, and it helps if they are visually pleasing to the child.
Most important of all!
The most important thing is to encourage the child, you need to make them feel gratified for reading and you need to show them the importance of good reading habits and how valuable reading is with your lifestyle and your behavior. You need to find ways to encourage reading habits considering their interests in life. Start with the books about the ways to spend their time such as gaming, watching movies (of course, pay attention to what they like to watch: sci-fi, fantasy, romance, documentary, etc.).
After all, we were a child once, and we all know that baby steps are the hardest to take!
References
1 – Duffy, G. G. (1967). Developing the Reading Habit. The Reading Teacher, 21(3), 253–256.
2 – Gambrell, L. B. (2015). GETTING STUDENTS HOOKED ON THE READING HABIT. The Reading Teacher, 69(3), 259–263.
3 – Lamme, L. L. (1976). Are Reading Habits and Abilities Related? The Reading Teacher, 30(1), 21–27.
