Children these days are so connected to a screen and it's becoming harder for parents and teachers to get children to sit down and read a book. So what can we do to help create a interest in books? Good question because I'll be answering that question for you today!
Ask open-ended questions
To get their minds going ask away with open-ended questions. I wonder what Julian will do next, what do you think he'll do? How would it have made you feel if your best friend had to move far away? Why did Lilly give her favorite toy away? Asking these kinds of questions will help build curiosity for the next page, help see what they remember, help them connect with the characters, and much more!
Play seek and find
Many books will have a animal or object you can find on almost every page and you can have the children try to find it after you finish read each page.
Give characters character while you read
Maybe the character is a animal, so talk in that kind of animals tone. If a character is feeling mad or happy make your voice match that characters feelings.All you really need to do is bring that character alive in the way you read.
Pick age appropriate books
If a child is to young or to old for a book they will grow bored of it. Select a wide range of age appropriate books so that the children can expand their imaginations and knowledge of certain concepts and ideas. Once they have age appropriate books they may just start reading more.
Pick books on the topics that interest them
Are they interested in weather, farming, princesses, supper heroes, art, or etc? Then pick books about those things! Maybe the main plot isn't focused on the thing they are interested in, but it uses the characters they are interested that's good too.
Have them read to you
Even if they can't read yet or aren't even close to reading yet they can still read a book to you. Maybe it's a favorite story then they may recite it from memory or they may just tell you the story based off what they see in the pictures. Infants may just babble and hit the pages, but you can still listen to their story and give them positive feedback. If they are a little older you can ask open-ended questions while they read to you. Why did Ally and Will go to the park? for example.
Below is a link to a wide range of books
Book List
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