Encouraging children to read can be a challenge, especially when you are battling with the lure of digital devices and their favourite TV shows. We know all too well that trying to get kids to swap the TV for a good book isn’t easy. However, with reading being essential when it comes to education and academic success, the ability to read for pleasure can bring a whole host of benefits for kids as they go through school.
The summer months offer the perfect opportunity for kids to dive right into the captivating world of books. If you’re wondering how to encourage good reading habits in your child, we have the answer. In this article, we’ll discuss why reading is important and provide tips on how to help your child read more books over the summer holidays. We’ll also share some of our favourite books for kids to get you started.
Why Are Good Reading Habits Important?
Encouraging your child to develop good reading habits offers many benefits that extend far beyond the pages of a book. Reading helps to enhance your child’s vocabulary, boosts critical thinking skills, and is great for improving comprehension abilities. A good book can also ignite creativity, nurture empathy, and take your child off into a wonderful world of imagination and adventure.
Practical Summer Reading Tips You Can Start Using Right Away
Let Your Kids Choose Their Own Books
One of the most important things to remember is that reading should be an enjoyable experience for your child. That’s why letting your kids choose the books they want to read is so important, as they can find stories or genres that interest them specifically. They might choose easy books to read with lots of pictures, or they may want to challenge themselves with a teen novel.
By giving them free choices with their reading material, regardless of whether it’s a fact or fiction book, comic or magazine, they’re much more likely to be engaged with what they’re reading and to eventually become life-long readers! If you’re concerned about finding the right reading level, it may be a good idea to find an age-specific section in a bookshop or library for them to choose from.
Visit The Library Regularly
The library is a great place for children to explore new books and authors for free. It gives them a huge variety of genres to choose from, which will help make it much more exciting when it comes to choosing which books to take home. You can even let your child take out their own library card, meaning they can check out books independently for pleasure and for school work too.
It’s also a good idea to check what activities your library has to offer- many host weekly story hours, summer reading challenges, or literacy programmes for kids to get involved in. Getting your kids to take part throughout the summer holidays could be a great way for them to start developing good reading habits and seeing other kids doing the same thing too!
Make Reading A Daily Habit
Making reading a daily habit can do wonders for reluctant readers. In fact, establishing a specific time each day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes, will be hugely beneficial. Not only will they get used to regular reading, but often if your child is reading something enjoyable, they’ll end up reading for much longer than 15 minutes, just so they can find out what happens next!
Read In Front Of Your Kids
Whether you love books, magazines, or catching up with the daily newspaper, it’s so important for your child to see you reading, especially as kids learn from what they observe. If your child sees that you’re excited about reading, they’re much more likely to catch your enthusiasm and want to read too.
Create a Reading Nook
Whether your child is just learning to read or is an avid teen reader, a reading nook could encourage them to read more. Having a reading nook in your house, free from digital distractions, is going to make reading time much more inviting for your kids.
It certainly doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just somewhere cosy and inspiring. Whether there’s a shelf full of books or a comfy seat, it will help your child connect reading with comfort! This nook could also double up as a comfortable study space for your child.
Re-Read Favourite Books
If your child has a few favourite books, encourage them to take the time to re-read them over the summer break. Not only are kids great at spotting things they missed the first time, but they may also even find they recognise more vocabulary in the book than when they read it the first time and understand parts of the story they didn’t before.
Re-reading also gives them the chance to enjoy the book again and indulge in the process of reading. This can really encourage positive reading habits and help develop a love for reading.
Show An Interest In Your Child’s Reading
Finally, your kids are going to be much more motivated to read if they have someone to share the stories they’re reading with. That’s why it’s so important for parents to show an active interest by taking time to ask them what the story is about, who their favourite character is and what they think is going to happen in the rest of the book. This will really help transform reading into a much more interesting experience as they get to discuss the storyline aloud and really understand what’s happening and more importantly why.
Our Favourite Summer Reads For Kids
If you’re looking to start your child off with a great book they can read over the summer, here are some of our favourites. They’re easy to read, engaging, and will keep them busy between family days out and enjoying time with their friends. Why not gift your child their first summer book on the last day of school?
“The Magic Tree House” series by Mary Pope Osborne: This beloved series combines adventure, history, and magic as young siblings Jack and Annie travel through time in their magical treehouse.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series by Jeff Kinney: The hilarious and relatable diary-style books follow Greg Heffley’s misadventures and offer a perfect blend of humour and life lessons.
“The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis: Transport your child to the enchanting land of Narnia, where they will embark on epic journeys alongside memorable characters.
“Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White: This timeless classic tells the heartwarming story of a friendship between a charming little pig named Wilbur and a wise spider named Charlotte.
“The Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling: Delve into the magical world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as they face thrilling adventures and learn the power of friendship.
Unlock the Magic of Summer Reading and Learning
By encouraging your child to read over the summer months, you’ll be investing in their future. From expanding their vocabulary to fostering lifelong reading habits, your support will mean the world when it comes to their academic success and enjoyment of good books. Now you know how to encourage good reading habits with your children!
If you’d also like to help your child with any subject they are struggling with, a few tutor sessions over the summer holidays can work wonders. At Tutor Doctor, we offer private tutoring services designed to suit the needs of your child. We can help your child with reading and comprehension or fill in gaps with areas of learning they are struggling with at school. Together, let’s set them on a lifelong journey of discovery and learning.
Find a local tutor today to get started.
