Library

Lucie Hill

Library Technician

I want to share with you some tips on how to encourage your children to read. With reading being such an integral part of our lives, we must all do whatever we can, to foster good reading habits, from an early age. I hope you enjoy it.

10 Tips to MotivateYour Child to Read

Make time for reading. 

If your child has a jam-packed schedule and reading is shoved

between gymnastics and band practice, reading may seem like an unwelcome chore. Allow reading to be a relaxing and enjoyable time, free from pressure.

Set aside a regular read-aloud time with your children. 

Choose a variety of high-quality literature that appeals to your child’s age and interests. Audiobooks are another great option for a reluctant reader. And don’t abandon read-aloud time when your children get older—no one is too old for a great read-aloud.

Make sure the reading material isn’t beyond your child's reading abilities. 

The interest may be there, but if the book is hard to read, your child’s motivation will wane.

Create a cozy reading nook. 

A special reading space may be all the encouragement your child needs to settle down and spend time with a good book!

Look for a variety of reading material. 

Kids often gravitate toward the fiction shelves in the library, but don’t stop there. There are many other genres to consider: joke books, cookbooks, how-to books, graphic novels, and biographies are all great non-fiction possibilities. And children’s magazines can be a great out-of-the-box way to encourage a child to read.

Try buddy reading with your struggling reader.

Buddy reading can help improve a child’s fluency and make him feel more comfortable with reading on his own.

Have your reluctant reader read easy picture books to younger siblings. 

This provides excellent practice, yet it doesn’t feel like work.

Last week during the Year 5s library lesson, I asked if one of the students wanted to read the class a Picture Book. Many of the student’s hands shot up, and I chose Riley, Emily and Lily. They each read a Picture book and did a wonderful job.