Getting Kids Reading, Tidy Books News

How to encourage your child to enjoy reading

 

“How can I motivate my child to read?” A lot of parents find themselves confronted with this question, especially during the summer holidays when it’s hot outside and there are so many summer activities to do – cycling tours, camping trips and swims in the sea. But don’t worry, if you use some little tricks, your child will grow into a little bookworm over the summer holidays and enjoy reading even if the sun is out. A lot of parents ask us “How can I get my toddler to read?” Summer is actually the perfect time to do so since parents have some days off, too and can read more together with their children. When you show them that reading is fun, they will follow your example and pick up their books a lot more.

 Let your children choose

More than 92% of children say that they are more likely to finish a book when they have chosen it themselves. They also tend to read more when there are enough books at home that seem interesting to them. [1] But how do you make books available everywhere in the house? The Tidy Books book box is a great product that lets you carry around your kid’s favourite books everywhere you go – you can even take it to the garden or the balcony. It displays books’ front covers, making it easy for your child to see and pick out a book by themselves, encouraging their love of reading.

 

Make books available everywhere

To get your kids reading, offer them books whenever they are bored and don’t know what to do. That way, they will learn that reading is a great activity that you can do everywhere without any preparation – just pick up a book and the boredom is forgotten. When you’re going on holiday, bring some children’s books, too. Pick out the ones that are thin and easy to carry around. That way, you can have a lazy day at the beach and still sneak in some education.

Read outside

Did you ever go outside to read to your kid in the garden? If you haven’t, you should definitely do it this summer! Story time in the garden is fun since your child can listen to you reading and still romp around if they feels like it. You could read some nature related books and then try to find plants and bugs from the book in your garden. That way, your child can explore nature’s secrets first hand and learn that reading teaches you a lot.

Build a reading nook

Get creative and build a reading tent in the garden. Old blankets and tablecloths work well, just peg them from a washing line to create a little tent. You could also put up a hammock in between trees and cover it with a blanket to make a cozy little reading place for your little ones. Add the Tidy Books Box that can carry 40 children’s books and you have a little outside library. Building blanket forts even works when it’s raining; just retreat inside and do it in the living room.

Give them a huge choice of books

To get your kids reading, it’s important to offer them a wide range of books to choose from. You don’t need to buy a lot of books – just take your child to the local library or plan a trip to the flea market. You could also organise a swap meet with friends or fellow parents to get new books to read. Want to put the reading experience to a whole new level? Find books by local authors who write about your local area. After reading with your kids, visit these places and make the stories come alive!

We wish you a great summer and hope that the next time someone asks you “How can I get my child to become a bookworm?” you’ll have plenty of tips! Have a look at our Pinterest Board for great tips to make summer reading fun

[1] Scholastic Facts on Summer Reading

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