How can I get my child to read more? At Hospitality Health ER, we’re not only doctors but we are parents too, so when it comes to raising our kids, we ask ourselves the very same questions you do. With summer in full swing, it’s important to keep our children reading over these next few months. After all, our brain is like every other muscle in our body — it gets weak when we don’t work it.
As a matter of fact, it’s proven that children experience a dip in their reading skills after taking the summer off from books. On the flipside, studies showed that children who kept up reading over the summer performed better on comprehension tests when they returned to school in the fall. But how do we encourage our kids to read? Here are a few tips we’ve learned along the way.
How to Get My Child to Read More
Here’s some helpful advice from fellow parents and doctors at Hospitality Health ER:
- Be a good role model and champion for reading. You can pass down your love of books by reading in front of your children or reading to them.
- Designate one day of the week as a reading day to create a healthy routine for your family. You can even have the kids write their own stories and read them to everyone else or play games that include trivia questions about the stories you’re reading together.
- Create a library at home so your kids can see how much you value books.
- Let your kids pick books they like instead of choosing for them. Studies show that kids are more likely to finish a book they choose. Don’t force them to read lengthy novels that don’t interest them. If your kids like graphic novels or books with fun facts, remember that any kind of reading is a gazillion times better than watching TV.
- Offer incentives for reading more. For example, allow your child to stay up late if it is to finish the last chapters of their current book.
- Take a field trip to the library regularly and let them explore all the different areas. For summer reading programs, visit the Rosenberg Library in Galveston.
- Read wherever you go, even if you’re traveling somewhere over the summer.
To keep up with the latest parenting topics, follow our blog or like us on Facebook.
