World Book Day: How to encourage your child to read more books

23rd February 2023 by Anita Naik

With World Book Day fast approaching, it's worth knowing that children today read less frequently than any previous generation and enjoy reading less than young people did in the past. According to research from the National Literacy Trist, only a quarter of under-18s spend time reading daily. Alongside this, fewer children than ever say they enjoy reading.

Yet, reading for pleasure has a wide range of academic benefits for children:

1. Improved reading ability: When children read for pleasure, they are exposed to a greater variety of vocabulary and sentence structures, which can improve their reading comprehension.

2. Enhanced cognitive development: Reading for pleasure can stimulate a child's imagination, critical thinking skills, and creativity, leading to enhanced cognitive development.

3. Greater knowledge acquisition: Reading for pleasure can expand a child's knowledge of the world, including history, geography, and culture.

4. Increased empathy and social understanding: Fictional stories can help children develop empathy and understanding of others' perspectives, which can improve their social and emotional intelligence.

Yet, encouraging children to pick up a book can be a challenging task, but several strategies can help spark their interest in reading.

TikTok: Books are probably not the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of TikTok, yet the TikTok hashtag #booktok has 112 billion views and is encouraging even the most reluctant readers to read a book. Not only is #BookTok making reading more accessible to non-readers, but it works like a virtual book club encouraging teen readers to return for more.

Provide choice: Let reluctant readers choose the books they want to read. If they are interested in a particular topic or genre, allow them to explore it. It also helps to connect readers to their interests. For example, if they enjoy video games, find books about gaming or game development.

Set achievable goals: While many of us would love our children to pick up a book and read for pleasure, it's more realistic to set small, attainable goals and celebrate their progress. Encourage them to read for a certain amount of time each day or to finish a certain number of pages or books per month.

Use tech: For very reluctant readers, consider using audiobooks or e-books to help them engage with reading material. These formats appeal to some readers and do more than you think to help with literacy.

Audiobooks, for example, allow students to hear clear sounds of letters and letter patterns that form words and also help students gain exposure to more words, ultimately improving vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Audiobooks also require children to listen attentively, follow the story, and comprehend what is being said. This helps develop their listening skills, which are essential for academic success and imagination, leading to critical thinking skills and increased creativity.

Find alternative reading materials: Try graphic novels, online articles, and non-fiction books to see what resonates with them. Graphic novels, for example, are visually appealing and can help engage readers who struggle with traditional books.

Non-fiction books that cover topics of interest to the reader, such as sports, animals, or history, can be highly engaging for those who don't like the idea of fiction.

Finally, if you are struggling with being a sporadic reader, try a series of books: such as Harry Potter, Divergent or Percy Jackson. A series can engage readers to carry on reading as they become more invested in the characters and the narrative and are drawn into the world they want to revisit.