How do you help children fall in love with literature? This is a question that many parents and educators struggle with. It can be difficult to get kids interested in books, especially if they are not used to reading or have trouble staying focused. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips on how to get children excited about reading and help them develop a love for literature!
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Introduce children to a variety of books, authors, and genres
- Start with what interests your child. Is he/she into cars? Then try finding books about racing or sports!
- If it’s dinosaurs then start there and expand from there based on their interest level at each stage in life.
- Give them access to all types of literature (fiction vs non-fiction), authors and genres so they can explore different topics that might be interesting but not something you’d normally expect them read on their own.
For example, my daughter really likes math so I bought her some books about math problems and puzzles instead of just giving her a typical textbook from school. Kids, especially girls, love stories with strong female characters like Hermione Granger or Katniss Everdeen because they see themselves reflected in those roles and can imagine themselves as the heroines! We also have lots more suggestions for great books featuring girls on our Recommended Reading page if you need any ideas!
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Discuss the characters and plot with your children
Once they’ve started reading, ask your kids questions about the characters and plot. This will help keep them engaged in the story and develop their comprehension skills. You can even have a discussion about what they think might happen next in the book or make predictions based on the clues given in the text.
Discussing the plot makes your kids be more mindful of what they are reading. It can also help with critical thinking skills down the line. When my son was reading The Chronicles of Narnia, we talked about how he thought Aslan (the lion) represented God and why Lewis might have chosen that symbolism.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all books are meant to be analyzed deeply – sometimes it’s just as much fun to read a book for entertainment value without dissecting every little detail. But being able to do so shows kids that they can find meaning in almost any story if they look hard enough.
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Students essays about literature
If you’re excited to help your kids learn more about various topics, you could be helping them write their school essays. To do that, you can check out these Writix Examples and get inspired by reading other writers’ works. Studying other writers’ assignments is helpful to children in many ways. They can learn from these examples and get a better understanding of what they are required to do in class. Plus, kids become motivated to excel by comparing themselves to their peers and wanting to become even better.
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Help them find their favorite books and authors
It’s important to help children find their favorite books and authors by reading reviews, asking friends or teachers what they think of a particular book before letting them choose it on their own. You can also encourage kids who don’t like certain genres (horror stories for example) with positive reinforcement such as “This book is scary but I’ll bet you can handle it!” or “How do you feel after reading this chapter? Do you think it made any sense to have so many characters die in one scene?”
If all else fails, there are always those classic titles like The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe which will appeal to them for sure.
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Read together as often as possible
Reading with your kids on a regular basis is one of the best ways to help them fall in love with literature. You can read aloud together and take turns reading chapters out loud, or simply sit down and read together every night before bed. Kids who read often tend to develop better vocabularies anyways!
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Let them keep track of their reading progress on a personal reading chart
You can also let kids keep track of their own reading progress on a chart. For example, if they are reading the Harry Potter series then they could make one chart with each book listed at top and number line showing how far they’ve gotten in each book (so that you know when it was finished). It would be like having their own little progress report to show off!
Wrapping Up
Helping children fall in love with literature can be a fun and rewarding experience for both parents and kids. By following these simple tips, you can help your child develop a lifelong love of reading that will stay with them for years to come. For more ideas, please visit our Reading Recommendations page.
Author Bio:
James Collins is a marketer and world writer. He volunteers at an animal shelter and works from home during the week. In his free time, James likes to travel the world.
