Ways to Promote Reading in Your Home

Reading has many benefits to the intellectual growth of children. When kids have a solid foundation of learning, they tend to stay in school, graduate and pursue higher levels of education. Although the trend for reading in children has been dropping, parents can help encourage children to read more helping them to gain that love of reading.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Texas is committed to enabling all young people to reach their full potential through life-enhancing programs and providing a safe place to learn and grow. Having strong moral programs which include reading good books, helps save kids from lives of failure and crime.

You can help support these youth with a generous car donation to The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Texas. Simply fill out our easy online form, or give us a call at 1-800-237-5714. By donating your unwanted car, you can help young people have more hope and opportunities.

Here are 4 Ways You Can Encourage Your Child To Gain a Love of Reading:

1. Read To and With Your Child

The number one tool to encourage reading is to read to your child, and read with your child every day. The more your child is exposed to literature, the more that reading will be a main part of their daily life.  Making it a tradition to read a few stories or from a favorite book together each night or morning is a powerful tool in motivating your child to read.

2. Surround Your Child with Reading Material

Children who have a big assemblage of books and other reading resources in their home perform better and score higher on standardized tests. Having a broad collection of age-appropriate interesting books and magazines will help inspire a habit of reading in your child.

3. Follow Their Interests and Needs

Allowing your child to choose own their reading materials will encourage them to be lifelong readers. Children who pick what they read, whether it’s a magazine, graphic novel, comic book or novel, are much more interested and engaged in what they are reading. If your child needs a different reading format with perhaps a larger font, consider letting him or her use an e-reader. There are also useful reading apps that can be installed on your smartphone or tablet where your child can have a safe space for reading.

4. Show Interest in What Your Child is Reading

A parent’s positive response has a powerful impact on a child’s effort to become a good reader. Always remember to offer sincere praise for your child’s efforts. Listen when they want to read to you or share something they’ve read. Build on the positive that they share and any improvements they have made in their reading ability. You are their greatest cheerleader and motivator.