Most parents want their child to spend some time reading
this summer, but what is the best way to make this happen? According to a
recent article in The Atlantic, the
standard methods might be contributing to a child’s negative association with
the activity.
If a parent tries to reward reading, it’s likely
the child will understand it to be a boring task that requires payment—and what will
happen once the rewards stop coming? That child will most likely lose the motivation
altogether.
The same goes for setting time limits, which instill the
notion that reading is no fun, like a trip to the doctor.
It is true that new games and technology have become big
competitors for a child’s attention, but what parents can do—other than removing devices completely—is to alter their
home “so that reading is the most appealing activity available when your child
is looking for something to do.” Making reading fun can be achieved by keeping engaging books
all over the house—by the bed, on the couch, on the kitchen table, in the
bathroom—and in the car. Putting books in interesting places will help to spark
a child’s interest and self-motivation.
Also, it goes without saying that taking frequent trips to the library can be both
economical and fun.
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