How to Keep Kids Reading as They Transition Back to School
The holidays are an excellent time for families to spend time together and enjoy themselves. However, now that they are over and the rush of the real world, not to mention New Year’s Resolutions, is in full swing, it’s time to get back on track. That includes encouraging your children to read for fun, not just for school.
Depending on the age and hobbies of your child or children, it can sometimes be difficult to encourage healthy reading habits; other times, it’s harder to have them set their favorite book down to focus on their schoolwork. Unfortunately, there’s no magic spell to make either one of these easier, but there are ways to encourage your children to read for fun.
Read to Your Children
A good habit to form for younger children is nightly reading, where you, as the parents, will read to your child. This is best done as part of your nightly routine, after your kids brush their teeth and when they get into bed. Reading before bed will help your child fall asleep faster and sleep better throughout the night.
Reading to your child will improve their listening skills; it will also expand their vocabulary, broaden their attention span, and promote creativity. Books are full of beautiful pictures, places, and themes that they may not have experienced before. Reading opens their imagination and allows them to dream bigger and better.
This nightly routine will also help you create a special bond with your kids. Kids feel safe when their parents read to them. This habit will better your relationship with your babies. It will also help them associate reading with a positive and happy feeling, encouraging them to ask for nightly readings and even start it themselves once they learn how to read.
Have Your Children Read to You
Once your children learn to read, we recommend reversing the roles and letting them read to you! This will help them gain confidence in reading, especially aloud, which will be a valuable skill in school and beyond.
Whether you read to your children or they read to you, you can alternate nightly or weekly, offering variety while keeping a routine, creating a beautiful way to make reading even better for the whole family.
How You Can Help
We encourage our readers to commit to daily reading, especially for their children. This small daily task will benefit everyone involved. Keeping routines helps your day (and life) go smoother. Making reading part of your daily routine, whether school is in session or not, will help to encourage healthy reading habits 365 days a year.
We hope that your children think of reading as a happy and rewarding activity, not a chore. Because of this, we recommend implementing the above tactics to ensure there is always a positive relationship with reading. Instead of forcing your child to read when in trouble, have them help you with other chores around the house, such as cleaning or picking up their toys. Associate reading with positivity, and they will take that with them for the rest of their lives.
Another way to encourage your children to read is by setting that example. Many children play on iPads or tablets because they see their parents doing the same. Instead of picking up your phone to scroll Instagram, put it down and pick up a book instead! Your kids will notice this small change, and you will see positive benefits for the entire family.
How BookCase.Club Can Help
If you need the material to keep your kids reading all year long, let us help! All you have to do is select your child’s age and gender, and we’ll choose three books to send them each month. Then, tag us in pictures on Instagram using #BCCUnboxing, and we may feature your kids on our social media pages!
Through the end of January, we are offering two discount codes. Use code HELLO22 for 20% off month-to-month orders or SAVEMORE22 for 25% off multi-month orders. These codes are only valid through the end of the month, so don’t wait to order healthy habits for your children!
