Today we have a fun treat for you guys. We are going to hand the reigns over to our friends over at Bookroo for a fun guest post on how to make reading excited for your children (and you!). It's a known fact that we love to read to our kids, and have emphasized on how important that is to facilitate learning in those precious little minds. Over the last year we have shared some of our favorites through the children's book series, but are always looking for new fun reads to share with our children. Bookroo is such a unique site with an awesome message, and we are glad to have Jane, a co-founder of Bookroo, share with us some of her thoughts.
4 WAYS TO MAKE READING EXCITING FOR KIDS
Of all the things you can do for your children, one of the more important (after meeting basic needs of food, shelter, and safety) is imbuing a love of reading in them. Children who are read to from a young age, and develop into good readers themselves, do better in every facet of their formal education (including math!), are less likely to go to jail, make more money, and (possibly even more importantly) develop confidence in themselves and their potential. Even with all of the benefits of reading, there are far too many children for whom reading is a chore rather than a precious gift. While some children are naturally more inclined to be bookworms, there are a few things that you can do to help your child be more excited about reading, and we’d like to share four of them with you today.
1. Make reading together a special bonding time
From birth babies find the sound of their parents’ voices soothing. Reading aloud to them can help calm them, make them more accustomed to the sound of your voice, and start that special bonding process. Bonds between parents and children are strengthened as they spend quality one-on-one time together, and having quiet time where you are sitting close together, both focused on the same thing (the story) is definitely one of those bonding moments. We adults aren’t the only ones who think so either--studies have shown that children frequently site reading as a special bonding time with their parents. As an added bonus, you’re accumulating even more shared experiences and understanding of the world you can draw on later!
2. Lead by example
If you hate reading (and convey that to your children) you’re going to have a significantly harder time convincing them that THEY should be excited about reading. Let them catch you sneaking in a couple pages of your favorite book in quiet moments. Have books around the house. Tell them about what you’re reading and ask them about what they’re reading in turn!
3. Jazz up your reading routine
Especially with young children, having a routine for reading is a great idea. It helps you read together consistently (by setting aside a regular time and/or a place), and makes reading a part of each day that can be anticipated. That being said, jazzing up the routine a little can help build your child’s feelings of excitement surrounding reading. Have a read-a-thon. Do an activity based on a book you’ve read together recently (for example, create a treasure map if you’re reading about pirates, or make a crown if you’ve just read a princess book). This helps children use their imagination to bring the story to life! You can also introduce other activities that require reading that have nothing to do with books, like creating menus for dinner!
4. Perfect the art of book giving
Here at Bookroo, our favorite way to help kids be excited about reading is to perfect the art of book giving. By gifting books, you’re subconsciously associating the excitement inherent in getting a wrapped, surprise gift with reading and books! What could be better than that? Let your children know that you consider books worthy of gifting!
If you want to regularly gift books to your children, consider using Bookroo! Each month we send your child 2-3 curated board or picture books (your choice!), each individually wrapped, and with a handwritten note to your child. We believe in creating an experience that is memorable for children, and affordable and convenient for parents. As Sir Conan Doyle said: “It is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own.” All this because reading is an investment in their future.
A huge thank you to Jane and Bookroo for guest blogging today!! And because they are so sweet they wanted to share a coupon with our readers.
To learn more about Bookroo:
How do you make reading exciting for your little one?
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I love these tips!! I think each one you mentioned is so important. I could do a better job of reading on my own to model good reading. I love reading with my daughter and she always get so excited to pick out books for me to read. We often give her books for holidays and special events. She's got a sweet little library and I hope she learns to love reading as much we do :)
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