Bookworms are lucky people. Getting kids interested in reading, especially when started at an early age, creates so much self-awareness and empathy in children and adults that would otherwise take lots of time to develop.
So what should one do with a child or student who simply struggles to enjoy reading? You can’t teach someone to enjoy an activity. However, The Education Guide has tools for educators to help students find their joy in prose. If you want advice for making learning, in general, more engaging, then check out this blog post, but if it’s just reading you’re working on, then forget the student homework planner and try the following:
So what should one do with a child or student who simply struggles to enjoy reading? You can’t teach someone to find interest in an activity. However, The Education Guide has tools for educators to help kids get interested in reading. If you want advice for making learning, in general, more engaging, then check out this blog post, but if it’s just reading you’re working on, then forget the student homework planner and try the following.
Use Graphic Novels
Books or narratives that are largely pictorial can trick children into thinking they’re not reading. The colorful pictures and engaging plotlines will draw them in, and reading graphic novels is no less beneficial than prose (depending on the content). This can also work with magazines and activity books.
Be Strategic With Your Encouragement
The sad truth is that most kids often do the opposite of what their parents or teachers say. The worst thing one can do when trying to create a bookworm is make reading feel like an obligation. Avoid forcing your child to read things they are not interested in, give them choices.
Match The Genre To What They Love
Pay attention to common themes in your child’s favorite things. If they love unicorn rainbow coloring books, then they might enjoy books about unicorns. They might love all things fantasy. If they’re a studious homework planner and love their alphabet writing practice book, they might enjoy guidebooks that provide information about relevant things.
Tell Stories
Not a lot of people revel in the act of reading. The content, be it twisting plotlines or informative histories, makes them fall in love with reading. By telling stories verbally, not reading them aloud, but simply telling them, will lead your child to appreciate the art of story-telling. This will give rise to a love of narratives that has every chance of turning into an unstoppable reading habits.
Lead by Example
Read every day, within sight of your child. If your family tends to hunker down in front of the television at the end of the day, your kids will internalize the idea that that’s how one should unwind. Reading when you’re tired sends a message that reading is not a strenuous activity or a strain on the mind.
As long as you don’t turn reading into a chore and you make sure your kid finds joy in it, there’s no reason they shouldn’t develop a healthy reading habits. On the off chance that they don’t, stay calm, it could develop later. They may even find a substitute activity more suited to them that is just as healthy. Parents who are looking to play the educator will love our resources.
The Educator Guide offers free joyful kids coloring books and teaching and learning guides. We’ve got learning tips for parents and education tips for teachers. For access to some teaching tips from the pros, please explore our website or email us your questions at theeducatorguide@gmail.com.