It is very encouraging to any parent who loves to read themselves for their children to love to read also. But children being children they will get bored quite easily. That’s when you have to think of creative ways to encourage their love of reading and keep them enthralled. Yes, books do take you to magical places but that’s not enough to keep most kids entertained for long. So in the next few paragraphs we will discuss some tried and true methods to keep your little ones longing to read for years to come.

Be the Characters

For young children acting out a book is as important as reading it. When you read to your child whether it’s during the day or at bedtime become the characters that you are reading about and they will love you for it. Become the pirate with the throaty growl; make sure you are the sweet princess that loves everyone but that no one understands. Acting out the characters that you are reading about will bring the story to life and should have your little one begging for just one more book.

Playact for More Fun

After you are finished reading a book have your child put on a play. However don’t just have them do it, you join in. You can be the Prince Charming to your little girls Snow White, the evil villain to your little boy’s knight in shining armour. Put some colour into your child’s everyday world by going with them to the places in the books that they love.

Ask Questions

It is fun to see what a child’s view is on certain things because often they differ so greatly from our own view of the world around us. When you are reading a story or book stop often to ask questions. Things like how do you think Johnny should be acting in church or what would you do if someone asked you to cross the road without permission will go a long way towards helping your child to understand what you are reading to them. The idea here is two-fold. Not only are you testing their understanding of what you read but it is also seeing how they respond to certain key things that are taught in the book you are reading.

It’s also a great idea to talk about the book on down the road. Say you are on the way to the grocery store strike up a conversation with your little one in the back seat. Saying things like “Wow, that was quite an adventure we had yesterday wasn’t it” will make your child think back to the fun they had and want to do it again.

Help your Child Choose their Books

Never just assume that you little one wants to read a certain book. Although they will have many favourites over the years picking out a book is half of the magic.