Do you want to get your kids excited about reading? If so, get ready for the countdown: ten days of ideas that will get you and yours into reading!
Today’s tip? Get vocal about reading. Blah, blah, blah. There’s a lot of talking that goes on in a house, and sometimes we tune it out. Turn some of this talking into gripping reading, and you’ll increase your children’s ability to listen carefully. The ability to create images in your head is key to reading success.
Craft a cumulative story. Get one family member to start out telling a story, then stop. The next family member continues the story. This works best with children who are a little older or who are really, really into silly storytelling.
Have reading nights or reading days, when you read plays, stories, and poetry out loud. You could dress up this activity any way you wish. How about a Friday night pizza and play night? Start a family tradition of reading.
Go to a play. Read the play or an associated book first, so that the kids feel like they have a firm footing as to what the play is about, especially if it uses higher-level or old-fashioned language. If you have extroverted kids, they’ll probably want to act out a play themselves when they get home.
Use books on tape. Instead of watching television or playing video games in the car, pop in a pre-recorded book and let them use their imaginations to create the story in their heads.
Simply read out loud. Even when children get older, they love to listen to stories that you read. Story time was probably part of their bed time routine when they were younger. Why not add it in when they’re older too, at least a few times a week? Even I like it when I can relax and listen to someone else read a story.
What creative ideas do you have for encouraging children to listen to reading?
Other ideas in this series:
Cultivate down time from media