Spring into National Reading Month: Inspiring Your Child to Love Reading
As National Reading Month approaches in March, it’s a fun time to explore creative ways to inspire your child's love for reading. Famed reading enthusiast and writer Dr. Seuss was quoted as saying “The more that you read, the more things you will know.”
If you’re ISO a few tips to grow your child’s love of reading, we turned to Liz Sliger, Ed.D. - the Executive Director of Indiana Digital Elementary School, Indiana Digital Jr Sr. High School, and Indiana Digital Alternative Schools (learn more about all here!) to share some.
What the research says:
Reading for fun is dwindling among today’s youth, with only 14% of 13-year-olds reading for enjoyment daily in 2023, a sharp decline from 35% in 1984. Despite the remarkable benefits of reading on cognitive development and academic success, the trend continues to plummet.
Today's children are growing up in a digital era characterized by a decline in reading habits and traditional outdoor play. It’s important for parents to encourage a renewed interest in reading to support children's mental health, creativity, and empathy.
DYK MARCH IS ALSO WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH?
What can you do to inspire your child to love reading? Here are a few tips Sliger offers:
1. Start early.
Hearing words is essential for building language pathways in a child’s brain, enhancing language and cognitive skills and expanding their ability to understand and use words. According to an Ohio State University study, young children whose parents read at least one book to them a day will hear approximately 290,000 more words by age 5 than children who are not read to regularly.
2. Read with your child.
Select a book that both of you will enjoy and take turns reading aloud together. A study published by American Academy of Pediatrics found that parent-child reading activates areas of the brain that support mental imagery and narrative comprehension. Not to mention, it also helps improve their vocabulary, pronunciation, and attention span and creates a fun bonding activity.
3. Pair reading with fun activities.
Enhance the reading experience by incorporating activities that bring the story to life. For example, learn the Five-Step Waltz while reading “Little Women,” track the destinations you’ve visited through books with a reading passport, or pair a great book with its blockbuster movie adaptation, like “A Wrinkle in Time” or “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.” These activities can make your child feel like they’re stepping into the story, sparking their imagination and curiosity.
4. Try an audiobook.
Audiobooks are a fantastic way to enjoy stories while improving listening skills and teaching proper pronunciation. Professional narrators are often skilled at voicing different characters, which can deepen your child’s understanding and empathy for each character.
5. Let them choose what they read.
Throughout their education, your child will read numerous textbooks, novels, short stories, and plays. Much of their academic success is tied to these assignments, which are often not of their choosing. Allowing them to select books that interest them can help keep them engaged and encourage a love for reading, as they enjoy the books they read.
