When your kid comes home from primary school, learning should not stop there especially if you want them to keep thinking and process new information. A good way of helping them learn even at home is by getting them to read their books or the books you buy for them. However, this is not easy to do, especially for kids who do not like to read very much.
Getting an English tutor to sit beside them or to read books to them can help. Or, you can take matters into your own hands by creating a reading plan for your child. To help you get started, here is a unique 8-week program you can use to help your primary school kids develop healthy reading habits.
Week 1 – Create Title Jar
Let your child select the book they should read with you by writing the book titles in strips of paper and put it in a jar or container. From there, you can ask them to draw from the jar to pick the next book title. Of course, don’t let your kid change their draw if they didn’t like the title.
If you have other kids, make separate jars with book titles fit for their age. Do this activity together with their siblings will create a friendly competition and help to motivate each other to read more.
Week 2 – Book Exchange
Let your kids trade books with their friend if their friends have books you don’t have at your home. By trading, your kids can discover new stories and even give the children a topic to chat about when they finish reading the books.
This way, not only you can even save up on buying new books, your child can discover a new genre that they hadn’t read before.
Week 3 – Reading Bingo
Use a reading Bingo card to spark the interest of your child to read more. You can add prizes when they reach BINGO as a reward.
To play, you can write titles of the books that your child has read before and those he hasn’t. In turn, he has to write 9 book titles he can remember on his card. To win Bingo, he will need to align all the titles he has read before in a straight line on his card.
Titles can be replaced with objects in the story, characters or even scenarios.
Week 4 – Read To Another
If your child can already read on their own, you can challenge them by asking them to read the entire book to their siblings. Not only is this a good bonding time for them, it would also ensure they learn together.
If your child is an only child, you can ask their cousins, friends or your neighbors to help the child with their reading.
Week 5 – Creative Reading Spaces
You should create Creative Reading Spaces which would allow your child to imagine the things they read in the books. Use blankets, cushions and other items which your child can use to create their ideal reading space. If you can afford them, you can also buy them small tents that can fit inside the room for your kids. You can also bring their toys closer to add as props when you read the stories.
Using a kid-friendly reading space or fort is perfect if the books they like involve adventure, monsters, and other fantasy series.
Week 6 – Watch A Book Adaptation Movie
If your kids are a fan of movies which were adapted from books like ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ and others, you can ask them to read the books for practice. Due to screen time, movies cut out some extra chapters from the main story so reading the book version is ideal if you want to learn more about the characters.
If your kid hasn’t watched the movies yet, allow them to read the book first and then let them watch the film. As you watch the movie with them, they will be able to discern which parts were not included from the book and which ones are new. When you praise them for knowing this, they will feel proud and accomplished.
Of course, make sure the books and the movies are appropriate for their ages and if there is a dash of violence, be with them as they watch and explain to them what their scenes are.
Week 7 – Read Other Materials
Aside from books, why don’t you introduce other reading materials to your kids? Nowadays, there are children’s magazines and websites that your kids can check and learn from. There are plenty of free resources online to increase your child’s reading interest and they are age appropriate. For older kids, try to find current affairs reports that are simple for them to understand.
Once they finished reading, you can ask your kids what they learned from the magazine or the website and discuss the topics in depth.
Week 8
If you still have copies of the old storybooks you liked to read as a kid, let your child have a go at it so they know which stories you liked when you were a child. When they are finished reading it, ask them details about the book, the parts they like and even share your own memories of the books when you read them.
If you do not have a copy of the book anymore but you are familiar with the title, you can purchase the book in advance. There is a high chance the book has been updated to fit today’s readers and even come with pictures and other stuff. If you can’t find an updated version, try checking second-hand shops or online shops in case they have copies.
Alternative
If you can’t monitor your kids to follow up in your reading program, don’t worry. You can ask your tutor to help you to introduce new books regularly for your child to read.
Your tutor can bring your kids to Singapore’s library for their lessons, and even make the reading experience unique and fun. Tutors can also determine which areas your child needs help with and they will be able to change their lessons to tackle that problem area. The tutors can also help you pick the right books to buy if you do not have ready reading material for your child to start with.
Final Thoughts
Books can bring readers into new worlds that will definitely cause one’s imagination to run wild. For kids, these worlds are waiting to be explored and they can teach a lot of things kids won’t learn easily in school. Help your kids develop a reading habit today and see how it will develop your kids as they read.
To encourage self-reading in your child, you may find these articles interesting:
How To Teach Your Singapore Child To Love Reading From A Young Age
4 ‘Must-Know’ Tips for Better Reading
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