7 Best Ways You Can Inculcate Book-Reading in Children (2–5 years)
Sharing the approaches I followed to introduce books to my child.
I was in a hospital with my son for a check-up. Opposite to me, a lady and her daughter (who is almost of the same age as my son) were also waiting their turn. The hospital has a tiny play area for children. My son and her daughter started playing. After a while, both of them got disinterested. She rushed to her mom, took her by hand to the play area which has a tiny bookshelf full of children’s books. The daughter chose a book and her mom started reading it to her whereas I had to give my phone to my son to keep him entertained and occupied so that I along with all the other people in the hospital will have peace of mind. But when I saw the mother-daughter duo, I first felt what a terrible mom I am. Inspired by the way she is parenting her child, I strongly decided to be that mom. That is when I seriously thought of introducing books to my child and make reading a habit.
Back to the topic, I came up with these ways after a lot of research on the internet and several attempts of trial and error. I believe that with constant effort, these approaches will certainly work for you. I am sure there might be better ways and approaches but this is what worked for me, hence I felt it is worth sharing.
1. Start early
Start reading books to your child from a very tender age. Experts say reading to your child from a very small age enhances their language development and comprehension. So, what are you waiting for? Start reading now! Also, It’s never too late.
2. Choose the right book
· Go for the books which have lots of illustrations and very little content.
· If you jump right away into a book with lengthy paragraphs and lots of content, you will get exhausted after reading a page; your child might lose interest, and will not like the idea of reading a book again.
· A fair amount of colorful pictures will not only create interest in them but also will succeed in retaining that interest and attention.
3. Be patient
· Don’t be so hard on yourself or on your child. Developing any new habit takes time, be it weaning or potty training. The same holds true for book reading too. Don’t get disappointed if your child prefers to play and doesn’t want to read. Just sit with your child while they are playing. Read a book louder. Breathe life into the characters with fun-filled expressions in your tone. These tiny little efforts will grab their attention. It takes a great deal of time and effort but trust me! It’s worth it! Because most readers are not born, they are made!
· Set some clear, achievable goals a day. Once you reach them appreciate yourself and reward your child.
· Initially, my goal was to read at least a page or two once in the morning and just before bedtime. Slowly I increased the number of pages and now we almost read 3 books a day.
4. Give them the reins
Let your children be the leaders. Let them choose the book they want to read. Let them decide the place they want to sit in with you.
Place your children’s books in such a way that they are easily visible and accessible to your child.
This helps them to choose the book they like and put it back in place. If they can see them and access them easily, they can’t ignore them.
Also, don’t hesitate to read the same book over and over again. It not only helps them better understand things but also aids in building their vocabulary. My son’s favorite book is “The way back home by Oliver Jeffers” which I read to him almost every day!
This article talks about the benefits of reading the same book repeatedly.
5. Break the norm
You don’t have to confine your reading to the four walls of the room
Go to a park; sit on a bench, read your book enjoying nature. This will recharge your batteries and is helpful for the mental well-being of both you and your children. I am not suggesting that you should start reading once you step into a park. Let them enjoy to their heart’s content and when you decide to leave for home, just spare 5 to 10 min of your time to read a small book.
Take books with you while traveling. This keeps them engaged from the boredom of journeys (I hate journeys so I always carry books. I don’t prefer kindle. I just love the smell of books), plus they won’t ask you for a gadget. I am not telling you the story of any fiction movie, it’s real!
6. Discuss, re-create, re-invent
Have you just finished reading a book to your child? Ah! Ah! Don’t close it yet. Discuss what you have read. Ask questions. For example, if you are reading the story,” The hare and the tortoise”, you can ask your child these questions:
Why did the hare lose the race?
Who seemed to be winning the race at the start?
Who won at last etc.,
Discussing a book increases their concentration and reasoning power. It opens the doors for their creative energies.
Alternatively, you can try role-plays of the characters in a favorite book; enact a family play that creates a sense of purpose and fun in your child. It leaves a lasting impact. Remember! You are making memories.
You can also ask your child to reinvent a new story from an existing one, just like a sequel. Let them sharpen their imagination.
7. Consistency is the key
I feel this is the heart of adopting any good habit and sticking to it.
If you read a book a day, maintain it. If you read a book twice a week, do that.
If you don’t maintain consistency, you will likely lose the grip and most probably you will have to start it all over again.
Establish a routine according to your work and time and follow that. If you are an absolutely busy parent, I don’t judge you.
Just assign 10–20 min a day.
This will make your work easier in the future. Your kids will entertain themselves without driving you nuts even when there is no TV or internet. It also creates a great bond between you and your child.
The takeaway
- If I can summarize this article in a single paragraph, I only say this….read, read and read. Read often, read more, read whenever possible, wherever possible.
- Reading habit not only has above said benefits but also aids in reducing screen time enormously, the burning issue faced by many parents today. You will just start with storybooks but later they will not just confine themselves to storybooks or novels. They will happily explore other reading materials like literature, newspapers, and journals and will learn to enjoy every reading material.
Once reading becomes a habit, it will be an addiction, a constructive addiction.
