Thursday 7th March marks one of the most largely celebrated days in the mainstream literary calendar – World Book Day.
For the last 22 years, the World Book Day charity has been working towards ensuring that every child in the UK and Ireland has the chance to experience the joys of reading by providing them with a book of their own.
Schools up and down the UK famously mark the occasion by giving children the opportunity to dress up as their favourite book character in order to raise money for the charity which, in turn, sends out book tokens to help children acquire their very own book.
Given the importance of reding in early years, World Book Day is a great opportunity to celebrate books and encourage children to spend more time reading for pleasure.
That being said, not every child is naturally compelled by books and it can seem a daunting task to get a child who doesn’t enjoy reading to do more of it.
There are various reasons why a child may dislike reading, the most obvious one being that they struggle with it. In this instance, consulting with your child’s teachers to identify any potential development issues or learning difficulties is essential.
If your child doesn’t appear to have any of the above, there are few ways you can encourage them to be more open to the idea of reading:
Make it part of your routine
Most parents make time to read to their little ones early on, but the habit usually falls away as the child gets older and starts school or nursery.
Reserving half an hour or so and implementing story time as part of your child’s daily routine gets them into the habit of reading for pleasure.
Whether it’s first thing in the morning to get their brain going or last thing at night to help them fall asleep, sooner or later grabbing a book will come second nature to your child.
Lead by example
Everyone knows that children learn the majority of their personality traits from their parents, so reading alongside your child is a good way to encourage them to like it too.
Relating to the point above, taking half an hour to read next to your child as part of your routine will benefit both your child and you by acting as a bonding and calming measure at the end of the day.
Create a cosy reading nook or classroom reading corner
As with most things, it’s almost impossible to concentrate if there is a lack of comfort around you.
Reading nooks don’t have to be fancy and expensive; simply adding some soft seating to the corner of a room in your house or classroom will suffice. Fairy lights, blankets and cushions are perfect for making your reading nook that little bit more inviting and snug and encouraging your and your child to spend more time relaxing there.
Take it outside
Reading doesn’t have to be confined to indoors; on a summers day why not take a book with you and sit in the park with a picnic?
Alternatively, make an afternoon out of reading and take a trip to your local library. Not only will this get you out the house, it will also support your local community, provide a chance for socialising and open up your child’s imagination to whole plethora of genres and authors.
Keep it diverse
Like adults, children have their preferences. What one child likes another may not, so listening to your child’s feedback and supplying a diverse range of reading materials will ensure they come across something that they like and that will ignite that passion for reading within them.
Struggling for book ideas? Read our Top 10 Children’s Books article to get some inspiration.
Accessible book storage
Having somewhere safe and secure to store your favourite books is vital in order to keep them organised and free from damage.
We know that big books are a favourite amongst small children, so we have developed a range of book storage options especially for big books.
Our big book storage range includes a Big Book Holder which is a basic solution to storing your picture books. The six slots can each store multiple books, allowing you to keep countless large books stored away in one place.
For a slightly more colourful and unique solution, why not try the Bubblegum Big Book House? Like the Big Book Holder, the Bubblegum Book House has multiple slots to store all your big books and is mounted on castor wheels.
If you’re looking for a more dynamic solution for all types of books, have a look at our Kinderboxes. With a choice of sizes, colours and number of bays, Kinderboxes is perfect for storing both big and small books.
We have an entire School Library Furniture range full of different types of book storage solutions which are also suitable for a home environment. If you need advice on which option is best for you, or if you want to find out more about what we can provide, call our sales team on 01733 511121.
Do you have any tips for encouraging little ones to read? Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and share your favourite tricks with fellow parents.
At Early Learning Furniture we are experts in early years’ education resources including classroom furniture, school dining furniture and school play equipment. For more information about our products please contact us.
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