Ten Atmospheres To Get a Kid To Read
You want to raise a reader. But getting your child to read can be more like pulling out teeth than that idealized literary love you always wanted to encourage. Reading is more than words--it's language. Lifestyle. In this endeavor, environment is key, and these ten atmospheres help raise your reader.
Making books an integral part of design, especially in common areas like this living room, keeps literature on the forefront of children's minds. It shows priority (and, as is shown here, awe-inspiring aesthetic).
Shelving books in a kid's actual room gives them the immediacy of reading--and within the privacy of their own space.
My preschooler doesn't sleep during naptime anymore but, since I feel he still needs down time (don't we all), I close his door and tell him he can choose books and read on his bed. A room like this easily accommodates that idea. Well, plus a pile of matchbox cars.
My preschooler doesn't sleep during naptime anymore but, since I feel he still needs down time (don't we all), I close his door and tell him he can choose books and read on his bed. A room like this easily accommodates that idea. Well, plus a pile of matchbox cars.
This simple and brilliant room also shows how, with a few alterations on the lower shelves, children can easily get some literary encouragement. This small room can easily become quite multipurpose: a child coloring or reading on the floor space, a child reading on the couch, you with a zen-like calm simultaneously having some quiet time at your desk. Well, you can dream, right?
Keep books in high-trafficked areas such as the kitchen. With older and often more skeptical kids, be sly by slipping into the mix books that feed their interests. Baseball. Horses. French fashion. You'll be surprised at how often they will peruse while waiting for food.
A child too old for a reading corner can be enticed by an older version: a soft couch, inviting lighting, and accessible books as seen in these shelves mounted on that fabulous brick wall. Cookie temptation still applies.
Volume. The word is volume. The more you expose your children, the more they will be likely to read--and the better their literary skills will develop. These stacks of books in this calm room create an organized chaos that is just asking for someone to choose one and read for hours.
Children won't read if the books are needing too much order or aren't accessible. In fact, studies show that children read most when they can see the front cover. These shelves create distinct order without a stuffiness or pristine organization. Someone entering this room might feel very free to grab and look.
The thick rug below makes a soft landing for little bodies wanting to sprawl and read.
The thick rug below makes a soft landing for little bodies wanting to sprawl and read.
Bookshelves along a highly-trafficked hallway help kids see books many times a day. Stick books where you know kids go: the kitchen, as mentioned. By the pool. On a coffee table by the television. In their rooms. (And, ppst: in the bathroom.)
Don't keep the bookworming to the inside. Place magazines and books outside (especially by the cold drink refreshments) and idle teenagers out for some rays and relaxation will also get in some reading.
For more on raising a reader, check out this week at Bonbon:
http://bonbonliving.com
sweetest living for your family
For more on raising a reader, check out this week at Bonbon:
http://bonbonliving.com
sweetest living for your family