Reading is not the favorite past time of every child, but all children have an imagination that is vibrant and just waiting to be used! As homeschoolers we have the opportunity to allow our children to use their imaginations to make reading fun!
Sometimes children need to be inspired to read, but often kids struggle finding a book that truly interests them. It could be the topic, the type of book or style of writing that they’re looking for but unable to find. Books can be disappointing, even to adults. Think just for a moment what it must be like to a child that doesn’t naturally love to read. It is frustrating to pick up book after book and not discover something you’d love to read. This frustration can cause children to not want to pick up a book again.
Every child is unique. Each one has different interests, learning styles, abilities, etc. All of these unique features create a one of a kind child who will enjoy reading a particular type of book. What happens if they can’t find a book that they truly enjoy?
Making reading fun isn’t always an easy task, but it’s important that we encourage our children to continue reading books. They will need to read books throughout their lives in college, in training, as parents, and more! Reading can be more than a required school subject, but it will take thinking outside the box, creativity and patience on your part.
What if instead of asking your child to pick up a book to read, that you instead ask your child to write a book they’d want to read?
A child’s imagination is a great source of inspiration and provides the opportunity for countless books written by their own hand! If your children are struggling to find books that they truly enjoy, then it may be time to have them write one!
Giving our children the ability to write a book that they enjoy allows them the opportunity to use their imagination, while working on language arts, penmanship and much more!
If your children are too young to write on their own, try having them dictate it to you and then read it to them! This will encourage them to work on their reading and writing skills, so that they can create their own storybooks by themselves soon!
Sometimes children don’t know where to start when writing a story, so using writing prompts may be beneficial to get them started. Help them begin the journey to writing their own story by giving them tips or ideas along the way. After they’ve finished writing their story, make sure to give them one on one time to read each one to you! This will encourage them, to continue writing and will help them figure out what kind of book they enjoy reading! Once they know what they’re looking for in a book they’ll be more likely to try reading books more often!
If you’d like to keep the books your children write as a keepsake or if they need added encouragement to write their own book, the options below may be just what they need or what you want to keep their books special!
Just in case you missed the rest of the series, you can find more ideas for making reading fun here!
