Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you. Last week was my blog tour and it was exciting. I learned a lot and I’m looking forward to my next one. Thanks to all the bloggers who participated and all the wonderful people who left comments.
This week I want to talk about how to get your child interested in reading. When both my kids were babies I started the habit of reading to them before bedtime. I would read the fun nursery rhymes and the cadence of the rhyme would lull them into sleep mode.
I continued this pattern and still do it today, but now I let them pick the books they want to read. It’s amazing what they’re interested in! They’re interests range from the weather, to spiders…and even Transformers. J
Now, I can handle the weather and even spiders, but Transformers? Give me a break! J But because my sons were interested I bought them some Transformer books and I’ve got to say I’ve had to read them a million times.
I know everything about the Decepticons and the Autobots and the fall of Cybertron. Do I really care about these things? Not one wit, but my children do and if it keeps them reading I’m all for it. And here’s the thing my youngest was reading to himself before he started school. I attribute this to his strong drive to learn but also to the Transformers that became his passion during this phase of his life.
So when you’re trying to get your children interested in reading, pay attention to what their interests are. They’ll enjoy reading more if they’re reading a book that they’re interested in. You, on the other hand, may be sick of the topic. But you’ll have to pretend that it’s the most exciting topic in the world, because they are seeking your approval. J And what better way to build self esteem in your child? Giving them approval or permission to enjoy they’re own interests.
Please leave a comment if you have any other ideas on how to get your children interested in reading! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
I think first and foremost, to get your child interested in reading they have to see you read. Second, you’re right, they should read what they are interested in. There is nothing wrong with Transformers, Batman, Superman or even comic books. The point is to read, the subject matter, as long as it is appropriate, doesn’t matter at all.
We also try to encourage our children, a big deal when they get a hard word, etc.
http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
I agree whole heartedly! Kids model what they see, and if they see their parents reading and enjoying it they are more likely to try it! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment. It’s greatly appreciated!
Great Blog post! Thank you.
I’m a mother of 4 and all my kids love books and reading. I have a little recording studio at home and my two younger ones (7 and 4) love making “pretend” audio books. My 4 year old can not actually read but she “retells” the stories I have read to her a million times (I can understand the whole Transformers bit) Every time she retells Peter and the Wolf, she gets a few more words in correctly and “reads” with expression. The progress is half the fun. The 7 yr old loves Harry Potter so he is trying to make his own version of the audio book. (editing is a process!)
I know everyone doesn’t have a home studio, but many laptops have recording functions. i.e. mac books, etc. iPhones do too. So it’s not difficult to do a “recording” session with little ones. It’s a great rainy day activity.
Best wishes,
Sumi Watters
Thanks for stopping by Sumi! And thanks for the recording idea. I really like it. Your kids are at fun ages! My boys are seven and five and I love their enthusiasm and their willingness to try new things! They just love to learn! Hopefully they’ll keep this enthusiasm all their lives. 🙂