Reading is one of the most vital skills a child can learn; not only will it benefit them academically, it will also help them achieve lifelong success. There are many benefits to reading, including improving vocabulary, spelling and grammar. It can also help encourage analytical thinking and increase attention span. With these benefits in mind, it’s certainly worth encouraging your children to read, especially during the upcoming summer holidays. Of course, that’s easier said than done, which is why Dover College have put together the following tips to help parents.
If your child doesn’t like to read, it’s worth figuring out why so that you can address the issue and help change their mind. For example, they might find reading boring, but this could be because they haven’t found a genre that they enjoy yet. Help them find a book that suits their interests so that they find reading more entertaining. You could head to your local library together and let them pick their own books. Alternatively, your child might not like reading because they find it difficult and it causes them to become frustrated. If that’s the case, you might need to contact the school to address the issue and see if it is a more serious issue, such as dyslexia.
Another way to encourage your child to read is to introduce books to them from a young age. Keep lots of reading materials around your home so that they become familiar with books and have easy access to them. You could also make it part of their bed-time routine so that they learn to associate reading with relaxation. Once your child has finished reading a book, be sure to ask them lots of questions about it, such as who their favourite characters were or what their favourite part was. Not only does this improve upon your child’s comprehension skills, it also makes reading a social, family activity. With a little encouragement, your child is sure to become more interested in reading, which will, in turn, help them become better learners.