How to Get Your Child Interested in Reading
Children who begin reading in kindergarten and read just 20 minutes a day will see 1.8 million words per year. By 6th grade, they’ll have read for over 850 hours. They’re also more likely to score higher than 90% of their peers on standardized tests. Studies have long shown that young children who are exposed early to reading usually prove to be good readers later.
These are great numbers, but they don’t address one important point: how do you get your child interested in reading books in the first place?
Whether it’s a picture book, educational text, or a favorite volume from a mystery series for children, reading promotes brain development, strengthens family ties, and helps kids understand a world outside of their own.
Some of the reasons children say they don’t like to read include feeling that it’s a chore, difficult, or just plain boring.
Here are 10 easy tips for encouraging your children to read books, making reading a valued lifetime habit.
- Read aloud to your child from a young age – Along with introducing them to new people, places, and ideas, listening boosts their reading and vocabulary skills. It also makes them better prepared for starting school. Experts agree that even reading aloud to an older child can have a positive effect. For a fun twist, have an older child read to a younger family member.
- Don’t limit reading to books alone – Magazines, newspapers, comic books, and, yes, even cereal boxes, are all valid reading materials that expose children to new ideas and fresh perspectives.
- Whether a child loves the arts, sciences, or sports, let their interests guide their reading choices – One of the greatest reasons for introducing a child to a mystery book series like The Happy Hollisters is that it provides a wide range of themes, characters, and adventures, from coin collecting to meteorology.
- Lead by example – Show your child that you love reading, too. Let them see you relaxing with a book. Talk about an interesting fact you just learned in a magazine or book of your own. If possible, relate it to something they’re currently reading.
- Introduce audiobooks – If a child struggles with reading on their own or says they’re bored, audiobooks can be a great option. Listening to an audiobook—or better yet, following along with a print book—can boost reading fluency and comprehension. Audiobooks also reinforce the idea that no matter what form they’re in, books are magical. Several volumes of The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West are already available as audiobooks, and more are on the way! Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Happy-Hollisters-Audiobook/B07L3CCYRT?qid=1594839106&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=HDER81RBGGHKT5FF33CD
- Create a special reading area – It can be as simple as a bean bag chair in the corner of their bedroom or a more elaborate tree fort or backyard tent where they can curl up and dig into a new or cherished old favorite novel. Add a soft blanket and special lamp to make it extra-cozy.
- Draw connections between reading and real life – For example, if your child loves horses, help them find books that introduce barn life, animal care, or action on horseback. The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery and The Happy Hollisters at Pony Hill Farm both feature equine-centered mysteries.
- Help your child become a “regular” at the local library – Get a library card for your child, and visit often. A visit to your hometown library shows people from all walks of life enjoying books. Plus, the excitement of picking out their own book from the hundreds of available book collections keeps kids coming back for more.
- Get your child hooked on series books like The Happy Hollisters – Once kids enjoy the first book, they’ll want to read the rest of the series. As author Andrew Svenson (aka Jerry West) said, “The trick in writing children’s books is to set up danger, mystery and excitement on page one. Force the kid to turn the page. . . Then in the middle of each chapter there’s a dramatic point of excitement, and at chapter’s end, a cliffhanger.”
- Join a book club – Kids are always thrilled to get their own mail and packages. Subscription services like The Happy Hollisters Book Club bring the excitement of a classic children’s book series right to your child’s front door each month.</li
How to Get Your Child Interested in Reading with The Happy Hollisters Series!
Parents can have a huge impact in keeping their children reading books. The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West is a terrific children’s mystery series that’s available in the Happy Hollister store as a complete 33-volume mystery book series, as stand-alone titles, or in specially curated, themed sets like the 5-book Horse Lovers/Western Collection or the 12-book Travel the USA Collection. To introduce your young reader to The Happy Hollisters or give them the gift of a book club membership, contact The Happy Hollisters today.