Because the television and internet have become such big uses of a child’s time in today’s society, many parents can find it hard to get their kids interested in book stuff. However, this is a big problem because it’s through reading that a child starts learning important developmental skills such as building their vocabulary and even the act of speech itself. Reading is a way to use their imaginations, without having images already provided for them, and is thought of as a way to help with brain development. This is why it is still stressed so highly in the classroom.
To make book stuff more appealing to children, parents could focus on offering them picture books at first with a silly or whimsical nature. Kids love bright colors and stories that seem more fantastic than realistic, in most cases. These can also be good for helping them gain a sense of confidence with reading. Many times when a child doesn’t want to read, it’s because he or she finds it too difficult, when it’s easier to just give up and watch the television instead. This is not a good attitude to instill, and it may lead to defeatism later in life.
For children that are a little bit older, the book stuff that could be more appealing includes classic fairy tales or adventure stories. The Grimm Brothers’ collection of fairy tales is one of the most brutal collections of stories ever told, and certainly is anything but boring. This book stuff is filled with adventure, danger, and tales of morality that have delighted children of all ages for the past several centuries. This tradition is likely to be passed on to children for years to come, aside from the Disney renderings of the stories. The real tales are much more exciting.
Reading alone may be the reason why children find book stuff to be boring, so to spice it up you could make it more of a family interactive activity. If the family members take turns reading aloud, or even act out the stories, they will take on a greater significance in a child’s mind, and lead to positive associations with reading. Giving books as gifts from an early age will make them seem more like a reward and less like a chore. All of these are but a few ways to instill the love of reading in your children from an early age.
