How to instill in children a love of reading: tips for parents

Parents can instill in the child the habit of reading books and word scramble, this will benefit him in the future.

The child develops reading skills in kindergarten and primary school. However, a love of reading and a lifelong habit of reading books is formed at home. A child spends much more time at home than at school – and this is the most obvious reason why parents should instill in their child a love of reading. This issue can be approached from the other side.

Today, many educational experts say that teaching to read in school does not make a child love to read books. In the lower grades, the main task is to develop the reading technique in the child. The child’s success is assessed by reading speed, vocabulary and ability to understand the main idea of ​​the text read. It is generally accepted that the further success of the child in school depends on this: if he can read quickly, he will be able to master the educational material well in the future. However, this does not pay attention to the aesthetic aspect of reading. It also leaves out the fact that books form human values.

Parents can fill this gap and instill in their child a love of books and homework pros and cons. Let’s take a look at some tips on how to do this at home.

1. The child should come first, not the reading process

If you want to get your child interested in reading, start with them. Talk to him about what he likes. Find out:

interests of the child as a person;
his preferences (genres and topics of books that he loves);
his strengths and weaknesses in reading;
his reading habits (when and where he likes to read, what books, what motivates him to read, etc.).
2. Develop a plan for teaching your child to read.

Provide age-appropriate books for your child. Ideally, these should be traditional paper books, but reading apps (Kindle, iBooks, etc.) can also be used for older children.
The child should have a place where he can always read a book. Consider lighting, background noise, distractions, etc. when setting up such a space.
Encourage your child to read the book in certain situations (for example, when he is bored). So over time, the child himself will learn to read in order to have fun.
Encourage your child to set aside time each day to read.
Teach your child to choose books to read on their own. In this way, he will shape the reader’s tastes.
3. Make reading books a family activity.

If your child is still young, find books you can read together. Read with your child or take turns.
Discuss what you read with your child.
Allow your child to periodically see how you spend your time reading books, rather than browsing social networks on your phone.
Plan a time when all family members are putting aside everything and reading books. Spend this lesson at first 10 minutes, and then increase the time.
When the child is reading, do not distract him. At this time, you can sit next to and also read. This will help the child understand the importance of this activity. Moreover, a child may love reading even more when he realizes that his parents respect his time and space while reading.
Tell your child about book writing stories. Explain what events prompted authors to write books, how some books were in response to others, that some books were previously banned, etc.
Explain to your child how the books you are reading relate to your interests, thoughts, ideas, etc.
Try not to force your child to read. If you do have to do this from time to time, try to move from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation. The child should read because he likes it, not because he is forced or offered rewards.
For a child to enjoy reading books, he must have a comfortable enough place for this activity. As a rule, an armchair, sofa or bed in a room where the child is not distracted is enough for this. When reading becomes a habit, he will be able to read in other places. The background noise will no longer distract him as much.

Whether you need to set aside a separate time for your child to read books or not depends on many factors. It matters how much you lead your child to an example of reading, and whether he follows this example. The main thing is not to try to squeeze the reading of books into the already busy schedule of the child (when he is engaged in lessons, household chores, studies in circles and sections, etc.). Instead, offer your child organic reading opportunities and make the activity fun for the child.