As a parent I understand the challenge of getting my child to read during the summer break. Here’s what I (try to) do to make sure I strike a balance between having fun and developing a love for reading.
Firstly, I temporally ban all devices in my house for at least 3 hours to make sure there’s ample time set aside for reading. While it’s not always easy (that is often an understatement), I believe it’s worth the effort to ensure that my son is developing a passion for reading.
Of course, I’m no pro and no one is perfect, but with dedication and patience, we can provide our children with memorable holidays filled with reading.
Summer holidays are the perfect time for children to explore the excitement of reading. Reading not only increases the vocabulary of children but also enables them to experience a variety of new ideas, concepts, and stories. While preparing children for summer holidays reading can be a daunting task, if done right, it can be an exciting and enriching experience for children.
The trick is to make reading fun for children. Instead of forcing them to read what you decide, take the time to find out what they like and build upon that. Start by allowing them to choose their own books. Set up a reading corner in the house, and let them explore and find books they would like to read. Encourage them to read multiple genres – fiction, non-fiction and even comics and magazines – to understand different writing styles and ideas.
If you want to motivate your children further, consider setting them small challenges. For example, set a goal such as reading one book a week, or reading five books in a month. Another interesting idea would be to have them read the same book, but at different levels. This way, they can go back and read the same book in a different format or find out new information about the same book.
It would also be a great idea to introduce them to the habit of writing. Ask them to keep a diary or a journal to document their summer adventures and daily happenings. Invite them to share what they read in the form of stories, poems or drawings. This way, they’ll naturally start expressing themselves on the written page and cultivate an appreciation for writing as an art form.
Finally, encourage them to explore the world of audiobooks. Listening to stories can be just as enjoyable as reading them, and audiobooks come with the added advantage of allowing children to listen while doing other activities.
With these ideas in mind, you should be able to prepare your children for summer holidays reading and help them develop a lifelong love for the written word. The results might surprise you – perhaps they will become nocturnal bookworms and hide away with a flashlight so they can keep on reading! Now wouldn’t that be an awesome achievement!
By Eva Larsson
