Getting your child to read is one of the best things you can do for her as she grows up. Not only will she be ahead academically, but she’ll also have a sense of imagination and wonder that only books can provide. Follow these children’s reading corner ideas that she can escape to while she reads her favorite books!
Plan It
Allocate a spot in your house where your child’s reading corner is going to go. Some spots might work better than others; if you want your child to focus on reading, then putting it in his room with other distractions may not work. Instead, try putting it in a living room or family room, where your child can quietly enjoy himself while you can keep an eye on him.
Theme It
Is your child a fan of fantasy novels, or does she prefer mystery? Theme your reading nook around your child’s favorite genre of books, and she may never want to leave. Does she like dragons and princesses? Make her kid’s reading corner look like a castle. Is she a fan of superheroes? Theme her corner to look like a superhero’s headquarters. By bringing the imagination out of the book, you’ll show your child that anything can come to life!
Research It
What’s going in your child’s reading corner? Throw pillows, bean bag chairs, plush rugs or all of the above? If your kid’s reading nook is too cozy, your child may want to sleep instead of read; if it’s not cozy enough they won’t be able to get comfortable and won’t focus on reading. Think of what will work best for your child, and look for decoration inspirations on our Pinterest board, check out the link below!
Build It
Involve your child in the building of his children’s reading corner; it’s for him, after all! Allow him to pick out which pillows or chairs will go where, and help him move things to their places. A child may want to bring in a few stuffed animals for company or prefer to read alone. Involving him and making him see that it’s his may pique his interest in spending time there with a good book.
Go to the next page for Reading Tips for Kids, as well as a link to our Pinterest page featuring kid’s reading corners!
Reading Tips for Kids
So you have a reading corner: good! Now the question becomes: how do you get your child to actively use a reading corner? Just because you have pillows and books set out doesn’t mean your child is instantly going to sit down and start reading (if they do, congratulations! You’ve got a bookworm on your hands). Here are some tips on getting your child started on reading.
Read with Your Child
Each week, pick a chapter book with your child and work on reading it with her. Ask if you can join her in her reading corner, and read aloud or have her read aloud to you as you help her sound out words. Make it a competition by recording each book you finish, and by the end of the summer count how many you were able to read.
Make Reading a Habit
If you set a time each week where your child can read in his reading corner, it may eventually become a habit. Reading for an hour every afternoon will make your child fall into something he does naturally, and he might even find that an hour isn’t enough as he gets into his book!
Select Good Books
You can’t promote healthy reading without providing healthy books for your child to read. Some are more age-appropriate than others; you want to make sure your child is in her preferred reading levels so she doesn’t get frustrated, but you also want to challenge her by offering new books. Test the waters and give your child a few choices. When she picks what she wants, make note of it and watch her progress as she goes. Reading too slowly? You may need an easier book. Reading too quickly? You might need a more difficult book. Check out our guide to summer reading for age-appropriate book ideas for ages x to x HERE, ages x to x here and ages x to x here!
Give Rewards
Have a particularly stubborn child that doesn’t like reading? Set rewards for when he completes his time in his kid’s reading corner. For example, if a child can get through a chapter of his book, give him a gold star sticker. When he’s able to amass 10 gold stars, he’ll be able to trade the stars in for small prizes, such as an ice cream trip or a small toy. If children are working towards something they like, they’ll be more likely to keep up with their reading. They might even start to enjoy it!
For more ideas, visit our Pinterest board here.
Have you created a kid’s reading corner for your child? Share your reading corner ideas in our comments section and tag us in your photos on Pinterest!
Mabel Sterritt is an intern with Boston Parents Paper.
