Three Strategies to Keep Your Child Reading

Now that the summer season is here, your child has nothing but time on his or her hand — meaning that books will probably take a backseat to video games and iPads if your son or daughter gets their way. School might be out for the summer, but reading doesn’t have to be! Try these three strategies to keep your child interested in books before the fall rolls back around again.

Let your children read what they want.

As a parent, it can be tempting to try to sway your child’s reading choices. After all, if you loved Junie B. Jones or Ramona the Pest as a kid, you’ll want to share that joy with your little one! However, reading can quickly become a chore if your child feels like he or she has to read what you want them to read. Instead of turning reading into homework, make a trip to the bookstore and spend an afternoon introducing your child to a number of character and series so your child can find one that they love!  

Reward reading.

Leaving your child with too much screen time in the summer can uproot the reading skills they’ve learned during the school year. Instead of plopping your little one in front of YouTube or the TV for a summer afternoon, incentivize them to read and “earn” their screen time. For example, you may institute a rule that for every three chapters your child reads he or she can watch one episode or an hour of their favorite YouTube channel.  

Read together and keep your child engaged.

If your child is still a toddler, reading often and early will help instill a love of reading that grows as they age. Read together with your child and keep them engaged by asking questions about what’s happening on the page. Asking “where’s the pig?” or “do you think Cinderella likes her dress?” will aid a toddler with ants in their pants during story time.

A child who loves to read will grow into an adult who loves to learn — and the world is always in need of new stories and characters to keep kids turning pages. If you are an author looking to self-publish a children’s book, printing from China can help you save money while expanding your audience. If you are interested in learning more about self-publication, contact PRC Printing, a top China printing company, by calling 888-659-8320 today!