5 Tips To Make Kids Love & Enjoy Reading: Ages 2 - 6
5 Tips To Make Reading Fun for Kids Ages 2 - 6
Did you know that during the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections form in your child’s brain–and this happens not in a day, or even an hour. This happens every second? And what’s one of the best ways to strengthen these connections? Reading!
In a previous video, you may remember, we talked about how important it is to spend time with our kiddos to meet their need of healthy attachment and connection. It’s not just a nice thing to do: the time you spend with your child can make a huge difference for their learning and happiness! Well, today’s tips are about one great way to invest that time: reading!
If you know reading together is important, but you aren’t sure how to make the most of it, that’s okay! No worries; that’s why we’re here. Here are a few things to keep in mind and some ideas that can help.
First off, we need to remember that when kiddos get to read with parents, it can help with three main things:
It helps them feel CLOSE to you(again, so important for their development!).
It helps them LEARN all kinds of important things–letters, numbers, how language works, storytelling and perspective-taking skills, and, of course, tons of interesting things about this amazing world we live in!
And it helps with all kinds of positive connections and growth in their developing brains.
There are lots of ways to help this happen. Here are a few to think about:
A great place to start is inviting your little one to participate in reading the book. This can be letting them point at the pictures or turning the pages or asking them questions about what you’re reading. For example, you can ask them how they think a character is feeling, and why they feel that way. (This is an awesome way to help them start to understand and label emotions!) Of course, it takes longer to get through the book this way, but that’s okay! Getting through the book as fast as you can isn’t really the point of reading together, and kiddos love when they get to be involved!
Bring reading to life! When you read a book with your child, it’s like going on an adventure together. Books can spark their imaginations and curiosity, and they can also be a fun starting point for learning about things around them! For example, you could read a book about birds and then go outside to see if you can spot any together. Another thing that can really draw kiddos in when you read and make it even more of an adventure is when you do fun voices and exaggerated actions to make the book really come to life. They love it! And, it’s so much fun for them.
Does your kiddo have a favorite book? If so, you might get a little tired of reading it over and over, but it can actually be really helpful for them to hear it often! They start to learn how the words go with the pictures, they begin to learn what word comes next, and sometimes, you can invite them to tell the story in their own words.
Provide opportunities for your child to develop their own reading! For example, make the most of the local library! A lot of libraries host story times and have reading programs for kids. And, of course, you can help your kiddos pick out books that are right for their age and interests. Another fun idea that can encourage kids to read is to set aside their own special reading space! You might set up a cozy chair and a bookcase filled with great books for them to explore, or create a fun fort they can crawl into and read with some snacks. You can keep it simple or get more creative if you want to.
Make reading a regular part of your day. You can make time before bed to look at books together and maybe take turns reading to each other. Reading a book to your little one can be a great part of bedtime routines! Also, throughout the day, you can help your kiddos read words on the everyday things around them, like cereal boxes and signs. Ask for their help reading simple things wherever you go!
BONUS TIP: Treasure this reading time together. This is a precious age when they’re little enough to sit on your lap and they’re learning to bean eager learner. So don’t take it for granted!
So there you have it, five tips for making the most of reading together with your kiddos: Invite them to participate, bring the books to life, make the most of favorite books, encourage them to develop their own love of reading, and make reading a regular part of your day!
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Dr. Dave Schram Utah State University
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