How To Encourage Your Children To Read More Regularly

Are you trying to encourage your children to read more often? If so, the ideas listed in our latest blog post could help make a big difference.

Reading is one of the best activities you can teach your children to do. Therefore, it's important to remind them of its importance as early and as regularly as possible.

However, in today's day and age of gadgets, gizmos and TikTok, encouraging your children to unglue themselves from their smartphones tends to be much easier said than done. So, how can you make reading seem somehow 'cooler' in their eyes?

Well, that's where we can help.

In this article, we will run through some of the most effective methods to do exactly that - persuading your children to ditch their phones in favour of a book. Let's delve right in.

Utilise TV & Film

While it may go against what I said before about discouraging your children from using screens, utilising TV and film in the right way could actually encourage a love of reading as well.

This is because many of the world's most renowned children's books have been turned into film and TV-based adaptations, which you can now use to identify the genres your children enjoy the most.

Whether it be the fantastical world of Harry Potter, the adventures of Paddington Bear, the science fiction of Douglas Adams or the romance of Jane Eyre, once you know what kind of genres your children are into, you can then hone this through the books you encourage them to read.

Read To & With Them

Sometimes all it takes to ignite, or reignite, a love of reading is actually getting started with a book - immersing yourself in a captivating story that's impossible to put down.

While in this instance you'll effectively need to do that for your children, by reading stories both to and with them on a regular basis, this will help them recognise just how exciting reading can actually be.

Plus, it'll give you an opportunity to bond together, sharing the high and lows of the story you're reading, and for you to pass on your love of books.

Even if you don't have time to read to them yourself, gently encouraging them to listen to an audiobook instead of Ariana Grande before bed can make a big difference.

Set An Example

Your children will often follow the example you set for them so, if you're looking for them to put the phone down, make sure you aren't sitting there using yours.

Instead, make it obvious to your children how much you personally love reading.

Whether it be through setting aside an hour a day to read together or by signing your children up to a local book club, the more your children see reading as a part of your life, the more likely they'll be to implement it in their life as well.

Create A Reading Area

In much the same way adults enjoy the separation of work and play, children love having their own areas for certain activities. So, why not help them create their very own reading nook?

Even by simply draping a blanket over the back of two chairs, this can provide your children with the ideal area to let their imagination run free.

What's more, you could even match the theme of the reading nook to the book their reading. If they particularly enjoy pirate-based stories, for example, it doesn't take much to transform a small area of your home into a pirate's cove or makeshift ship.

For more hints and tips on encouraging your children to read more, take a look at our Facebook community page. Here you will be able to not only interact with other parents and children but also have a platform to share your own thoughts and ideas.