Best tips to develop great reading habits in your kids

Books are the consistent source of knowledge but in this era of digitised and techno-savvy kids, parents face a constant challenge to get the kids off the screens and get them to read books. Here is a set of 10 tips from us to help you solve the problem.

1. Start small and young. Means inculcate the reading habit from a young age. Parents should read anything age appropriate like rhymes at a very young age, reading picture books and board books to kindergarten kids and then popular stories post 4-5 years of age.

2. Kids imitate us. There is no way kids will read books while we enjoy screen time. If you want the kids to read books, poems and stories, do the same in their company. Often the kids follow what we do. So, put away your phone and get back to real physical books or newspapers or at least those glossy magazines.

3. First develop the interest in stories by telling them verbally what you have read recently if age appropriate or the stories, poems you read when you were a kid. Kids will develop a charm for the words once they hear new and fascinating words. This is a sure way to develop vocab too.

4. Set aside a fixed time or days for reading as a part of the routine. Like everything becomes a habit after regular practice, so is with reading. A fifteen minutes reading time with the kids before bed or post play time at least three days a week will develop the habit in them.

5. Encourage and show enthusiasm when the kids finish a successful chapter, poem or a short story irrespective of the mistakes they made. Do not correct them in the start itself, that may be a let-down. Like with any other activity, encouragement works as a catalyst.

6. Not just books but anything would help to encourage kids towards reading ¬– menus in the restaurants, roadside boards and banners, game manuals or guidelines, fun parts from the newspapers, and scraps with everyday information. Also, make sure to carry some reading stuff while traveling or outdoors.

7. Keep a variety of reading materials at home like board books and pictorial books for preprimary kids. For elder kids, storybooks and comic books, keep something interesting during the travel time also.

8. Maintaining a journal for the kids where they can write something for themselves which they find interesting while reading will also help them to develop an interest in reading a variety of stuff.

9. Read to the kids often especially during the set time, do not pass this habit for any other work. They will consider reading as a serious routine if you give it an importance too.

10. Play games related to words or poems. Give them hints about a word or a poem and quiz them to solve it. Associate such activities with their past reading and they will love the game if they know the quizzes and the answers.

Reading is a slow but lifelong habit, once your kid starts reading, they will inculcate it for a lifetime. Do drop us a thought what do you feel about our tips or if you have something amazing to share.