After a summer of frolicking in the sunshine, it’s back to school for our young ones. With their newly ironed uniforms, (as yet) un-scuffed shoes and fresh, well-rested minds, thoughts will be turning towards creating realistic and sustainable habits for the coming school year and beyond.
We’ve been discussing how to kick-start a positive, page-filled beginning to the Autumn term, which will hopefully help build a lovely enthusiasm for books and reading, in whatever format that takes! Novels, comic books, manga, magazines…whatever your child likes reading, there are plenty of options to stoke the fires of their burgeoning imaginations.
Read on for some useful tips and please share any more you have in the comments below!
Library trips
I was recently perusing the shelves of my local library and observed a lovely scene of a grandmother and grandchild sat comfortably reading together. The grandmother was reading the story to the enraptured little girl, and both were stopping now and again to discuss what they had just read. It was such a simple thing to witness, yet the attention both of them paid to not only the book, but also each other, was very inspiring. Libraries are such valuable third spaces for relaxing, with hundreds, sometimes thousands of titles to choose from. They offer a pressure-free environment, where, with the flash of a library card, your child will be able to access as many books as they want. Do they not like a certain author? That’s fine! Try a different one. Do they fancy reading every book in the Captain Underpants series without pausing for breath? Permitted.
Imagine a quiet Saturday morning ritual of walking to the library to see which books the librarian has to recommend that week. Sounds like bookish heaven to us!
Reading aloud
Like the aforementioned grandmother in the library, reading aloud whenever possible is such a valuable way of sharing the joy of reading, especially when it is ordinarily a solo activity. Even now as an adult, I relish the opportunities to read aloud, be it a passage or chapter from my latest book, or simply a beautiful phrase or poem. It helps maintain focus and allows the words to leap off the page. You can both practise your best giant’s voice, your lion’s roar, or your favourite zombie moan. The possibilities for playing are endless and will inevitably improve your child’s confidence. Their voice is just as important as their reading level after all. Fun is a super underrated element of learning, so make their reading time as enjoyable as possible!
Let them choose their next read
You may be keen to encourage your child to push themselves when it comes to their personal reading level, which is completely normal and valid. But if you find that your child is struggling to self-motivate when reading, it is really helpful to give them the time and freedom to explore their unique interests. Volcanos, pirates, fairies, mummies, frogs! Whatever they are fascinated in would be a fantastic jumping off point for choosing their next book.
Make a trip to the library or to your local bookshop, scan the shelves, and see what draws their attention. Add in a birthday book token as a bonus and see their eyes widen in delight.
Reading in the wild
Moving your child’s reading out of the classroom and/or home settings can be a refreshing change to the normal reading routine. Taking a book to the park for example, provides a positive reinforcement when it comes to reading time. Fresh air, a packed lunch and the latest Spiderman comic sounds like a grand ol’ time to us here at Willoughby. I often spot families reading independently but together at a favourite café of mine. It’s such a joy to see parents and children sharing the same hobby in the same place and will likely encourage others to follow suit, when they see their friends or fellow students engaged and happy.
Reading doesn’t have to be a stuffy, enforced activity resigned to quiet time in class. Some children will thrive in that environment, while others will prefer a less academic setting to unwind. Think outside the box and they’ll be stuffing their backpack with a selection of exciting titles.
Reading reward
Everyone loves a treat! If your family partakes in the summer reading schemes from your local library, you’ll know that an old-fashioned reward system does plenty to get children- and adults-motivated. Make a reading chart, set an achievable reading challenge together and buy plenty of stickers. For every book they read, a sticker goes on the chart! Maybe once they’ve finished a set number of books, they can be rewarded with a brand-new book, bookmark or reading light? Every child is an individual and therefore their motivations will be specific to them. Scheme together and make the challenge as imaginative as possible.
We hope that you find these prompts useful. Let us know which ideas get your little ones reading more!
