It’s one thing to get your child to read. It’s another to maintain their interest in this vital learning habit. Being an advocate for excellent learning as a non profit organization in Chicago, Illinois, we support every initiative to coax a child to read. More than this, however, we aim to partner with parents in maintaining valuable interests in the reading habit so that a child’s learning experience can even be widened.
Completing a whole book can be a challenging feat for children as they get started to read. However, when you’re able to capture their attention towards it, there’s a great chance that they’ll be hooked on it. For little ones, it’s very effective to use storybooks so that you can keep them glued to the narrative. Hence, as a Christian based school, we share these tips so that reading long stories can be enticing enough for young learners:
- Make a review.
As you start with a new chapter, make sure that you have done a review of what happened previously. This review not only refreshes your child’s memory, but it can also re-ignite their interest in the story itself. - Repeat funny sentences.
When you read along, be observant of your child’s reaction. For instance, if there’s a sentence that they find funny, take time to repeat it to them. Your repetition can both reinforce their interest as well as lift off the chance of boredom. - Skip challenging parts.
Reading with your child alternately can be a great way to get them interested in reading. When you’re up for this and you notice that your child is having a hard time finishing a particular paragraph or page, feel free to skip it. The goal is to make reading interesting and fun for your child. - Allow your child to read to you.
When your tot is already able to read, encourage them to do the reading. Avoid forcing them to do it if they refuse since the goal is not to make the activity grudging. When they do take time to read, praise them for it to affirm their reading skills. This can greatly boost their interests. - Let them share their opinions.
As you encounter different characters and scenarios, feel free to ask your child about what they think with the particular situation. Let them imagine themselves in the picture so that they can give a relevant reply. Questions can also exercise their reasoning skills. - Share your own opinions.
Whether or not your child shares their opinions, it’s important that you get to share your thoughts about a particular portion of the story. This is an indirect way of showing your child that reading is very engaging, while at the same time helping them to craft their own way of opining.
At My Excellency, we partner with you both in promoting academic excellence in Illinois, and in providing opportunities for less-privileged children to study and read.