Reading Habits for Young Children: Why and How to Develop?

Reading habits for young children are best to assist their academic growth. These days kids spent most of their time in front of the TV or phones entertaining themselves.

Not only do good reading habits help young children academically, but also a skill that helps one in the long term. Reading develops vocabulary, increases attention span, promotes analytical thinking and comprehension skills.

7 Ways to Develop Reading Habits for Young Children

Read Every Day

To help your child understand the importance of reading, start reading to them from an early age. You can start with bedtime stories, short stories, graded stories etc. This will foster a love for reading and help make it a habit.

Make a Reading Space

Make an area for your child to read in with his or her help. Grab a bean bag chair, fun accessories, a variety of books, and your child will have his or her own cozy reading corner.

Weekends in the Library

The library is home to thousands of books. Make a trip there every weekend and let your child explore the different sections. Let him or her pick a book and spend time with them while they read it. Many libraries also have story hours or other literacy programs for kids. You can enroll your kids in them.

Set a good example

Pick up your favourite magazine, storybook, newsletter, novel, or even just the newspaper and read it in front of your kids. Show them that you love reading. Show them your curiosity.

Don’t restrict yourself

Reading isn’t just about sitting down with a good book. It’s a part of daily life, too. As you go through your day, help your child keep an eye out for “reading moments.” They may be as simple as reading road signs, grocery lists, or recipes.

Re-read favourite books

You might get tired of reading the same story over and over again, but your child may love it. Kids like to spot things they missed the first time in the story or in the pictures. Re-reading also gives them a chance to connect the words they see on the page with the words they hear.

Gift them Books

Give your children books as gifts to develop reading habits. Surround them with books.

The key to encouraging reading habits in young children is to make reading fun and not frustrating. If your child does not develop a love for reading, don’t fret. Every child has different interests and hobbies.

We hope this article helped you!