Daily Strategies to spark your Child's love for reading?

Why am I considering the Daily Strategies to spark your Child’s love for reading? One of the biggest hurdles parents are facing today is the distraction of Technology. If you wish to raise a child with a love for reading you will also dramatically improve their attention span, literacy, scope of vocabulary. I believe you need to start early with good habits if you wish to fill your little one’s life with a healthy relationship for reading.

As a parent with children at the first introduction of iPads mobile phones and screen time there are things I would have done differently. The greatest and simplest lesson is repeating the same daily strategies you use to teach your child to brush their teeth daily to going to bed on time.

It STARTS with Daily Habits

Where did you start by getting them into a bedtime routine?

How did you get them to tidy their room?

And how did you get them to repeatedly brush their teeth?

First Strategy

Start Early! As soon as your little one starts developing their motor skills, and can grasp and hold something and support their head.

a. Add a soft fabric clip book to their pram or car seat- make books a primary play item associated with enjoyment and fun!

b. As they get bigger always rotate their favourite books or style of book. And place a book in the pouch behind the driver or passenger seat in your car. Directly visible and facing your child. Get into the habit of as you buckle them in on a journey to hand them a book- not an iPad, or phone.

c. A car journey is a great quiet time and can start habits for small to long journeys. Proactively replace technology with a book- technology can be addictive and limit their development skills. A love of books will build confidence, improve literacy and a broaden their use of vocabulary as they learn to speak.

Second Strategy

A family that loves and embraces books! Find a space in your living room to make books a focal point.

a. In our culture today the TV or Entertainment wall is the focal point in many peoples main living space. Even if it is simply a few shelves one for mum and dad’s books and a shelf for kid’s books.

b. Establish a time in the day morning or afternoon which is TV, Radio & Phone FREE. Mute technological distractions! Set aside 20 minutes where you read your own books- let your child see mum and dad reading. Children’s love emulating parents and this is a great quiet and calming time to spend time together and just being.

c. Alternatively find a small corner in your hall or under the stair where your child has their little bookshelf with a bean bag that they can escape to with the family dog or cat. Their little secret space for their books!

Third Strategy

Outdoors and Indoors! When the weather is great there is nothing more enjoyable than reading outdoors! How many of us enjoy a good book on the beach! Why not introduce a habit at home in the sun?

a. When the weather is great our first instinct is to get kids outside doing activities. But equally when the sun is out there is nothing more enjoyable than reading a book.

b. Create a reading corner in your garden, shaded space for a bean bag or a picnic blanket.

c. Alternatively have a little back-pack for their favourite books to take to the Park. And read on a Park bench or picnic blanket and enjoy with a picnic and time at the playground. Creating memories of activity and reading in the sun! The same back-pack they use and associate with their weekly visit to the library!

Fourth Strategy

Bedtime Books! The most important space for children! Recent statistics state that 80% of primary school children age 8-12 have unsupervised access to the internet in their bedrooms. 28% stating they have access to go online anytime they want. This directly correlates to negative impacts on attention, sleep and overall academic performance.

On reading the ‘Anxious Generation’ and as a parent with now young adult children my greatest advice would be to resist TV’s, laptops, PC’s, gaming stations and phones in bedrooms. If possible have a central spot in the home where parents are observing and controlling use. Push back on this as long as possible. It will greatly impact how they regulate their sleeping. And their ability and discernment of how, when and if they need to use technology and spend more time in the real world.

Bedtime Routine!

a. Having a designated Book box like a toy box, or book shelf is brilliant! Have books visible and accessible rather in a drawer or out of sight! From as early as possible make books a focal point in your child’s bedroom. For siblings sharing a bedroom create a low to high shelf for youngest to eldest sibling- with their own age and reading level of books.

b. Bedtime routine! Begin as early as possible to establish a bedtime reading routine! Not only does this create an incentive to get in their pyjamas and brush their teeth. But it can be a great personal one to one time for parents with a busy working schedule. This can be crucial in having a time in the day without external interference. Often this creates moments when children not only read with you, but open up about their day. It can be a time for children to feel seen and heard amongst the distractions of daily living.

c. Incorporate board games that also improve a love for letters and words like ‘Scrabble’ or books that focus on a love of reading like our book ‘Scribe; the Scribblers’.

d. Similarly this can have great benefits for parents to unwind, create positive memories with your children and escape from reality. As parents we can feel guilty of not prioritising time with our kid’s due to the responsibilities of working and keeping a roof over your head. This one simple routine that you commit to will be one of your greatest rewards as a parent and benefit you and your child’s relationship for a lifetime!

This is my tips for parents that I insert in all of my children’s picture books that may help you!