3 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Read
(NewsUSA) - The number of children who read digitally is on the rise, according to a report called "The Children's Digital Book Market: The future looks bright." In both the U.S. and Canada, e-book sales for children have increased substantially for some companies. No matter how you may feel about digital books, this is great news.
More kids reading is always good news -- especially when reading achievement levels are so abysmal. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress says that only one-third of all students entering high school are proficient in reading.
It's no secret that children who read tend to be more successful in school. Reading helps instill an interest in learning, exercises the brain and improves concentration, critical thinking and vocabulary.
"As a parent of three, I'm constantly looking for new ways to encourage the love of reading in my kids. At the same time, I am also trying to manage the amount of time that they spend on electronics and in front of screens," said Michael Tamblyn, Chief Content Officer of Kobo Inc., an e-reading service. "Even with a range of ages, they have all found books they like, so the e-readers in our house are now filled with Percy Jackson, Emily Windsnap and Geronimo Stilton."
Use the following tips to encourage youngsters to read more and enjoy it.
1. Read to children as much as possible. This may seem obvious, but reading to your kids helps them develop their own interest in books. Read to them at all ages, as babies, toddlers, young kids and pre-teens. Discover what types of books they prefer, carve out reading time and then teach them to make time for it, too.
2. Consider using an e-reader. These days, kids tend to be more technologically advanced than their parents. Use that to your advantage, and give your child an e-reader with a digital library.
For instance, the Kobo Mini eReader is lightweight, portable and perfect for first-time
readers -- The Huffington Post says it's lighter than this week's issue of The New Yorker. The Kobo Mini (www.kobo.com/kobomini) also has a touch-screen and Wi-Fi, so young readers can look up unfamiliar words, make notes on the page and access free books.
"E-readers, like Mini, let them have instant access to their favorite stories without the distractions that other devices provide," says Tamblyn.
3. Read all kinds of materials. Books aren't the only way to encourage reading. Depending on your child's interests, find related comic books, graphic novels, magazines, poetry, recipes, board games with reading cards and movies with subtitles. Get creative!