4 Free Ways to Get Your Kids to Love Reading

The statistics are staggering – a recent study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that millions of American 4^th graders cannot read at their grade-level proficiency.  

Why is that? Are our teachers bad? Are we using the wrong methods to teach reading? Maybe it’s because so many kids make it through their early childhood without being exposed to wonderful reading resources.

As parents, we must instill a love of reading in our children from the earliest age by making it a fun and exciting activity – not one they think is “boring.” Here are 4 tips on how to easily move your child down that path to love reading and improve their status as a student.

Offer LOTS of materials to read in a prominent spot

Don’t store your books, magazines and other reading materials away. Make sure they are front and center to your child’s daily life. A basket of books in the living room or a stack of magazines by your kitchen table will intrigue your child to read. Make all the materials easy to find and mix them up with new materials often to keep your children’s interest peaked.

Create a New Habit

Even if this isn’t your favorite way to spend time, the more you can role model for your children, the better for them. When they see you reading interesting and colorful materials, it will make them want to read; they might even want to read what you are reading!  Read aloud together or have your child read while you cook dinner and ask what he/she is reading about. Have them practice reading labels at the grocery store or reading street signs while you drive. Anything to practice and make reading seem fun or helpful for you will make it more interesting for your children.

Establish Technology-Free Tuesday

Set aside a night each week where you turn off the TV and read together as a family. Let your child read independently (if they are at that level) while you read and then read something together. A suggestion to try is “Kidsville News,” a free newspaper available in 60 markets nationwide, “Kidsville News!” also has a section for parents and plenty of interesting, kid-friendly material that children and parents will enjoy sharing together.

“Kidsville News!” won the Parents’ Choice Award in 2008, carries the NASA Space Place learning initiative, and recently partnered with the New York Times #1 Best Selling novelist James Patterson’s ReadKiddoRead.com to provide book reviews and recommendations, which will help you and your child on your next visit to the library or bookstore.

Visit the Library as a Family

Kids are much more likely to read a book they pick themselves. Why not make a weekly trip to the library part of your family activities. It’s free and also helps teach children the responsibility of returning books on time and caring for books that aren’t their own.

For more information about “Kidsville News!” or how to bring it to your community, visit www.kidsvillenews.com or call (877) 458-6397.