11 TIPS TO ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENT READING

 

 

If you’re a parent, educator or caregiver for any children between the ages of 0-12, then you know that reading is an important skill to foster in your kids.

 

As parents, educators and caregivers we all have the responsibility to set children up for success in life.

One of the most important things is setting them up with a foundation of literacy.

 

Helping your children develop their reading skills early on can be done through various fun activities such as taking them to the library or bookstore, signing them up for storytime, or finding online activities that involve interacting with books.

 

 

 

If you’re looking for a creative way to foster your child’s love of reading, why not consider signing up for a book-of-the-month club? With book clubs, your child gets to keep their own library of books that they can read and re-read over and over again.

 

Not only will they gain exposure to a variety of different works across multiple genres but it also allows you as a parent or educator to monitor what they are reading and what they should focus on more heavily. Plus, it’s just plain fun! So do your children a favor and help foster their love of reading by signing them up for a book-of-the-month club today!

 

The importance of reading cannot be stressed enough. Reading fosters the development of essential skills that children need to thrive in school, work and life including: improved vocabulary; increased ability to comprehend; enhanced cognition, understanding and reasoning skills.

 

A great way for parents or caregivers who have little time on their hands is a book subscription service like mine where each month your child will receive two books geared toward their age group delivered right to your door! They’ll also get a specially curated newsletter with tips about kids’ literacy from experts !

 

• You can’t go wrong when you give this gift that keeps giving all year long!
• If you’re looking , my books subscription is at the end of this post.
• Reading can be hard and daunting at times but it’s worth the effort!

Here are some ways you can help encourage your child to read:

*Read together with them – If they don’t want to go on their own, sit down and read with them. Kids will feel more confident when they see that adults enjoy reading too!

*Find books about topics they care about – It’s easier for kids to find something interesting if it relates back to what they are interested in. They’ll have fun exploring new subjects through different perspectives. Plus, giving them more independence.

 

Gary Vaynerchuck wants  you to know that you’re not alone, and that your child is not the only one struggling with reading.

“ I want you to know there are ways of helping them read better and improve their education in the process. You deserve it, they deserve it, so let’s get started! “

-Gary Vaynerchuck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Vaynerchuk

For most people, parenting is the biggest challenge they will face.

It’s a non-stop roller coaster from birth until little Suzi finally leaves home, therefore anything you can do to help them with their adventure into the world of reading would be amazing!

1. Schedule family reading time.

This has been one of our family’s BEST secrets for helping kids practice independent reading. Family reading is something everyone looks forward to!

2. Let them stay up late reading.

When I asked this question on Instagram this was by far the most popular response! If the options are quietly lying in the dark or staying up late to read in bed, many kids are going to choose the reading option!

 

3. Model reading.

You want your child to see reading as something they do for fun and by choice and one of the best ways to encourage this is by letting them see YOU choosing to read for fun.

 

 

4. Have a LOT of options available.

When you go to the library, get a big stack of fun options for them – different genres, lengths, and storylines – so they can flip through and find something that appeals to them!

 

 

5. Together, try to read the beginning.

For most of us the first couple of chapters are the hardest because you have to orient to a new setting, new characters, and new plot. If you can help them through those first couple of chapters, they’re much more likely to be able to continue on themselves! Before you know it ideas will be flying out of their minds like 2.

 

6. Read the first book of a series together.

Similarly, read the first book in a series together and then let them loose on the rest of the series!

 

7. Offer them books they’ve already read with you.

There is something so special about re-reading a book – it’s comfortable and familiar and so delightful. Hand them a book you read aloud to them before and see what they can do alone.

 

8. Have them read aloud to younger siblings or a pet.

My grandchildren LOVE feeling like an adult when reading aloud to someone else. Fortunately, they have a bunch of younger siblings who are happy to have their favorite books read aloud to them.

 

9. Have them listen to an audiobook while they follow along with a paper book.

This is a great transitional strategy to help a reader become independent. Grab a CD copy at the library or audiobook platform to download the audio version and then let them follow along with a paper copy! Join Amazon Prime and you can get a lot of books with a Kindle app. You can find it here:

https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b/?ie=UTF8&node=154606011&ref_=nav_cs_kindle_books

 

10.  Don’t be down on the books they choose.

Encourage independent reading, one of the worst things you can do is be judge-y about the books they want to read.

You might have zero interest in a book about Barbie or a book on monster trucks, but every child needs to find their own reading likes and dislikes which you may or may not it might look very different from yours. And that’s okay!

Be interested in what they’re reading and encourage them to find books THEY love.

 

11. Keep reading aloud to them!

And, of course, just because they’re moving into more independent reading, doesn’t mean they don’t need you to read aloud to the anymore!

Whether it’s a stack of picture books or a novel at bedtime, keep up the habit of reading together!

In conclusion:

 

We hope this post has helped you find some great ways to encourage independent reading in your child. If you have any questions about how we can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

In the meantime, it would be helpful for us if you could answer a quick survey that will allow us to better understand what type of books your child gravitates towards and how they feel about their current level of reading proficiency.

Take the short survey now at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHL2UHaiE9ptl7a6HcoTlXePkCycW-X9lBzXkbrePZ-yxoGA/viewform