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Five tips to make reading more fun

Show interest in your child's book choices, and she may be more likely to choose reading over watching television or playing video games. (File Photo / The Spokesman-Review)
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Show interest in your child's book choices, and she may be more likely to choose reading over watching television or playing video games. (File Photo / The Spokesman-Review)

Fostering a love of reading in your children, especially at a young age, is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids! Youngsters with a good handle on language, grammar and spelling will find it easier to keep up with assignments in school. It also helps them to function in the world around them more easily. But just how do you get your child to pick up a book instead of the video-game controller? Here are some tips to make it easier:

1. For budding young readers, get in on the action. Show your children reading is fun by participating in the activity. Whether you snuggle under the covers with your youngster and a good book, or follow along with the story during a long car trip, your interest will encourage him or her to stick with reading.

2. Always make reading fun. Ask questions about the story, or act out the adventures in the pages. Reading about pirates? Stage a mock battle right in the living room. This will illustrate that a story is much more than just words on paper.

3. Let children choose their own reading material. Kids love to exert their independence. Schedule a trip to the library or a bookstore to show the wide range of reading possibilities available. Don’t pick out their books; let them choose what they are excited about and eager to read.

4. Make reading challenging for your child. Use a visual record of achievement to encourage home reading. For example, create a chart where stars or stickers are earned for every book finished. When your little one sees his success charted, he’ll want to yell out, “Look what I did!”

5. Look beyond books as reading material. Be happy if your child is reading anything, be it a magazine, a comic book or game instructions. Play games that require reading and writing, like Scrabble. Encourage your child to correspond with a pen pal (perhaps an out-of-town friend’s child) and then read the pal’s responses together. To illustrate the practical side of reading, have your child help you with the grocery list, or leave reminder notes for your child to discover throughout the day.