Tips for Helping Your Child Enjoy Reading

Too many children today are distracted by activities that seem more fun than reading, but the importance of learning to read at a young age remains vital to a child's confidence and future success. Here are ways to make reading more enjoyable:

• Reward your child when he/she spends time reading: Although they'll soon learn that reading is a reward in itself, sometimes they will find encouragement in an incentive. One way is to take advantage of Hollywood: help your child to read a book or a story that exists in movie form before they see the movie; then rent or watch the movie after your child has completed the book.
• Make it easier for your child: It might sound obvious, but a child is more likely to do something if it comes natural to them. Unfortunately, reading doesn't come natural to everyone. Don't be put off if reading is challenging for your child. Tutoring programs are available to help people at any reading level. Tutoring can also give your child more confidence in their learning environment, so they'll be more likely to read at school and at home.
• Incorporate reading into your other activities: Reading exercises are everywhere, regardless of whether there's a book around. In the car, play games involving street signs or billboards, in the grocery store, give your child the responsibility of reading the shopping list, and in the kitchen, let your child choose a simple recipe (without using pictures) for dinner one night each week.
• Make a habit of reading: Reading before bed or after school is a great way to introduce regular reading into a child's routine, especially if you encourage them to read a longer selection that they can look forward to reading over the course of several days. If you have younger children who aren't yet reading on their own, routine reading can be a fun and special learning experience, as well. Sharing a chapter from a children's book with them each day at the same time primes them for regular reading when they're older and allows you to share something with your child. If reading is something that is regularly done or looked forward to in your home, your child is more likely to enjoy reading when they grow up.