Has your school goer stopped reading books? Try these hacks to re-inculcate this habit
During the COVID-19 pandemic, kids have been spending inordinate amount of time glued to the phone screens and laptops. As a consequence, their attention span has significantly reduced. Decreased attention has also robbed many school goers of their love for books. Here are some tips that might help you revive your child’s long-lost love for reading.
Create a cosy reading corner at home for your kids
A dedicated reading area could be just what your child needs to spend time with a good book. Keep these in mind while choosing a reading space:
- The area should be in a quiet place away from television room as well as entrances and exits.
- The reading corner should be a colourful and comfortable place where kids can relax and read with full concentration.
- Keep your child’s specific reading needs, if any, in mind while designing a reading corner.
You can also look for ideas on Pinterest and Instagram. For instance, @teacher.mate, @lauragraziano.writer, @kiddiegram and @simplyhomestyling_ are some of the Instagram accounts that you can check for inspiration. Discuss these reading nook ideas with your kids to add to their excitement.
Read together every day
Getting your kids to start reading again when they’ve already lost interest in it can be a challenging task for any parent. Set aside some time during the day or right before night to sit and read together with the kid. Tally your schedule with that your child and figure a common time when you can fit in this reading session. Make it a family ritual. This will motivate your child to start reading all over again. Once the read together session becomes a regular activity, he will start looking forward to it.
Give kids the gift of personalised storybooks
Personalised storybooks are a popular concept nowadays. They may be instrumental in bringing your kids back to books. Personalised storybooks are created specifically for kids aged 7 to 12 years. They contain text, customised illustrations, or variables, based on the characteristics of a kid. Such storybooks have children’s names, addresses, their likes and dislikes mentioned as part of the story. Even the characters in the book can look like the child whom the book is personalised for. Online platforms like Bookyboo, and The Nestery, can help create and deliver personalised storybooks for your kid. Your child will be captivated by the engaging visual elements and due to the fact that he is protagonist of the story.
Make sure the book is age-appropriate
A book will appeal to your kid if it is age-appropriate. This is because they are composed based on the level of understanding of a child. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and A Wrinkle in Time are some of the age-appropriate titles for teenagers.
Read a book series with your kids
Book series are an excellent approach to spark your child's interest in reading. It also keeps the question of "what should I read next?" at bay. The Harry Potter series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, The Famous Five series can be good options for your children.