How do you raise children who see the value in books? It’s harder than ever these days, with so much technology out there to distract. Reading is an immersive activity that requires attention over a significant period of time, allowing a person to spiral down into an imaginative world. There is enormous value in reading; young people who read have better vocabularies, do better in school, have empathy for the experiences of others and deepen their understanding of human nature and the world in which we live.
Here are seven tips to help you raise a child who reads:
1. Celebrate stories!
Read to your child from an earlier age – and do so every day, as part of your family routine. Talk about the stories you read together. When your child is young, join reading circles at your local library or bookstore. Stories enrich a childhood – and help create a lifelong love of books.
2. Encourage your child’s reading interests
No form of reading should ever be discouraged. There is no ‘right’ book to read, if you’re in the business of creating readers. Perhaps your child loves graphic fiction, or perhaps they read below their grade – it hardly matters. If you can cultivate a love of reading then their tastes will become more eclectic as their reading confidence increases.
3. Audio books are great, too!
… and may be a terrific option for a reluctant reader, or a child with reading challenges.
4. Be a role model for your child
If your child sees you reading, they ‘learn’ that this is a valuable way to spend time. Don’t be afraid to talk with your child about why you read, the books that appeal to you, and the impact reading has on your life. This is how you teach your child to articulate such things for themselves.
5. Turn trips to the library – or to bookstores – into a treat!
Encourage your children to see books as magical and exciting things by buying books together as rewards or as a special outing. This is a great way to show your child that reading is a thing of joy and should never be a ‘chore’. If your child has a favourite writer, look them up together and consider engaging with them – through their website, on Goodreads or even at an in-person reading. Taking your child to age-appropriate book launches and signings is a great way to show them that reading can lead to community. If your child expresses an interest in writing, consider enrolling them in creative writing workshops, such as the ones we run, here at Centauri Arts.
6. Have clear rules around technology
The older your child becomes, the more books must compete with social media and video games. Set rules around technology – and set them when your child is young, so those rules become an accepted part of life. A simple rule like ‘no technology in bedrooms, at night’ can have an enormous impact on reading habits – instead of scrolling social media for hours each night, children maintain that all-important reading time before bed.
7. Leave space in your child’s schedule for reading.
The lives of our children are busy, but packing every evening with after-school activities can leave little time for reading. Children need quiet time in their daily routines. Leaving unfilled hours in your child’s schedule encourages self-reflection and a rich internal life. It also leaves time for them to curl up with a book.
