As a mum and dad, are you sick and tired of telling your kids to get off those pesky iPad and game consoles?! Trust us, you’re not the only one!
In today’s modern world of technology, it can become really difficult to encourage your kids to put their iPad down and pick a book up. And as you probably already know, video games and fancy technology tend to be much more expensive than a book!
As we know, children’s brains are like a sponge. So it’s even more important for them to read as much as possible. This will help their minds develop, improve their concentration on focus, improve their writing and vocabulary skills, and of course, teach them loads!
So if you’re looking for ways to turn your little ones into bookworms, check out our top 10 tips.
1) Be a Good Role Model
As a busy mum or dad, you may not feel enthusiastic yourself about this one!
We know how difficult it is trying to juggle work, the kids, the housework – but it is important to take time to yourself. And what better way to indulge in a good book from Waterstones, and let your children see the joy that reading can bring?
2) Ask Your Child to Read to You
A simple way to get your child to read is to make it interactive!
We all know how much kids love to talk, and talk, and talk…
So, if they’re going to talk anyway, then why not ask them to pick a book from Abe Books and read it aloud to you or to one of their siblings?! We can guarantee this will make it much more fun for them.
3) Keep a Good Variety of Books in the House
One of the most important ways to encourage your kids to read more is to ensure you have plenty of them accessible in the house.
To help you save money in the process – you could buy books in bulk online from Amazon where you’ll be able to bag discounts. You could also visit your local charity shop, or even try your luck at a car-boot sale.
4) Let Them Try Magazines
If you’re struggling with getting them to even acknowledge a book, then a magazine or two from WH Smith about something they’re interested in could be a good alternative.
It could also be a smart move to try your kids with magazines as a starting point in their quest to read before investing in a heap of books. They’re often much cheaper, and can even be found for free with newspapers or kids’ toys.
5) Encourage Them to Read with Friends
If your kids love spending time with their friends, then why not make a pact with their mums and dads to get them reading more?
You could get them to make their own little book club, where each friend takes it in turn to read a chapter aloud. You can invest in some great collections of books and have them delivered from Books 2 Door. After that, you could let them watch the TV show or movie of the book they’ve read (with extra popcorn, obvs) as a special treat!
6) Play Family Games That Require Reading
If your kids are super competitive with their siblings, then you could make a quiz whereby they have to read to find the answers.
You could simply read the first chapter of a book and note down a few questions and answers. Once you’re ready, it’s time to quiz them! Make a photocopy of the pages you want them to read, ask them a question, and the kid to find the answer first wins.
7) Make Your Local Library Visits Fun
Whenever your local library has exhibits or events on, make sure you go! The more your child visits a library for fun, the more they’ll get comfortable around books and associate them with fun.
You could also get your child their own library card to get them a sense of independence and give them little missions to find particular books.
For example, you could tell them to try and find 3 different books – 1 relating to animals, 1 relating to food, and 1 relating to dinosaurs or something else they’re interested in.
8) Encourage Activities That Require Reading
If you have a little budding baker at home, then why not hand them a couple of cookbooks from Awesome Books and let them to have a read through? Then their reward is getting to bake a recipe they choose!
Or if they’re into other activities such as putting together a toy train or putting up a tent to make a den out of, then simply encourage them to read the instructions out loud.
9) Swap YouTube for an Audiobook
What is it with kids and YouTube?
If you’re sick of listening to baby shark *shudders* then encourage them to close YouTube down on their iPad and to listen to a podcast or audiobook from Etsy instead.
10) Ask Them Questions
Last but certainly not least, make sure you ask them questions about their books.
Kids love to feel like they know something that you don’t and that they’re able to teach you something. So make sure you’re really interested in whatever they’re reading to give them a sense of pride.
