Here are some tips:
- Pick a time to read during the DAY also, not just at bed time. Bed time reading is great and recommended. However, if you only ever read at bedtime your child will think reading is only for bedtime AND if they go through a stage where they do not like bedtime, they could also start to think negatively about reading since it comes right before bed time. So they think every time they have to read a book, that they have to go to bed next. So I encourage you to pick a time during the late morning (not right before nap time) and spend 15 minutes reading books together with your children.
- Your children are never too old to be read too! What happens between kindergarten and 4th grade where kids go from loving to read at home to not wanting to read anymore when they don't have to for school? What happens is when they start to learn how to read well themselves, we the parents think we don't need to read anymore with them and we send them off to read by themselves. Well, then that becomes HOMEWORK to them and not fun, quality time with mom/dad anymore. So even if you have a child in chapter books, pick a more challenging one that is a little harder for them and read that one together with them or encourage your older ones to help you read to your younger ones as a family activity.
- Make a cute black and white page with lots of stars on it and have them color in a star for every 20 minutes that they read or are read to. They LOVE seeing a visual of their accomplishment and getting to color it in.
- Point out illustrations and ask them to tell you what is happening in the story just by looking at the illustrations. Make different voices for the characters and vary the tone of your voice to help make it more interesting for them to listen to.
- Follow their lead! If they are into fairies or dinosaurs, pirates or princesses, find books that interest them!
- Keeps books in baskets throughout the house and make shelves (rain gutter shelves) where the book covers are facing out so the children can see what the book is and get excited about which one they want to choose!
- Create a fun reading NOOK area for your children. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. Here is a picture below with some tips on creating a nice reading nook for your children at home.
