Just because a child shuns books does not mean that he will not become an avid reader later on. So if your doesn’t like to read at the moment, here are some tips to make him want to read
He doesn’t like to read … before 6 years old: make him want to read thanks to little tips
- Get in the habit of giving her books made of paper or reinforced cardboard, instead of those made of plastic or fabric. He will thus get into the habit of respecting them, because he will not be able to chew them at will. The book will become in his eyes a precious object.
- Take the time to tell her a story every day, at bedtime , for example. It’s a good way to make him want to stick his nose into a book on his own.
- If he asks you for a story, invite him to go and choose his album. Even if he does not yet know how to read titles, this gives him the habit of having a voluntary approach towards books.
- Do not take him back if he takes a book by himself and pretends to read it while holding it upside down! He will feel silly and he will hesitate to do it again afterwards, even when it is time for him to learn to read.
- If he is curious about the letters, name them. First the vowels, then some consonants, and play with him to locate them in a story that you are telling him. Spontaneously, your child will have fun spotting them everywhere, on the wrappers of his favorite cakes, for example. A first approach to deciphering which is still a long way from reading, but which will encourage him to put his nose in his little books very regularly.
- Finally, if you have the possibility, register it from 5-6 years old in a library. Choosing your stories, taking responsibility for borrowed books, is a simple but effective way to give books an important place in a child’s life.
He doesn’t like reading … between 10 and 13 years old: proposing without imposing
It is often from the age of ten that the difficult turning point in reading occurs. The personality takes shape with more precision, and we begin to really make the difference between the addicts of the book and the others. In addition, children at school are obliged to read many documents, which are not always fascinating, it must be said! Result: in the evening and during school holidays , they tend to turn to other activities, which they think, rightly or wrongly, much more fun. It is necessary to manage this moment with the greatest diplomacy, to avoid removing them definitively from reading.
- Give him the books he likes, even if they are albums or comics.Let him choose for himself in the library or in the bookstore. Otherwise, trust the genres that work very well with tweens: romance novels, animal stories, mini-thrillers, adventure novels, fantasy books, and humorous books. Some children, but not all, love to immerse themselves in horror novels. You can also do a survey with the parents of his friends or a bookseller.
Do not impose on him the works that marked your childhood. He has the right not to like the great classics.
Never choose a book because it is educational and “useful” . At this age, we are reluctant to face all the necessary things. Better to present reading as a hobby in its own right.
Do not offer him several books at the same time. He may take this as pressure and feel guilty because he reads little and slowly. Remember: it doesn’t matter how much, as long as he sticks his nose into a book regularly.
Never force him to finish a book that bores him , allow him to “skip” passages.
Share with him your own joy of reading : “Come on, we both sit on the sofa and read for an hour”. Casually, he loves doing things with you!To get him back on track: He doesn’t read at all? Do not despair. Nothing is final, and the revelation can come later, with the discovery of an author for example. Consider browsing bookstores, seeking advice from specialists, to unearth this rare pearl that will make your teenager an avid reader. In the meantime, there are other ways to plunge him back into the literary world. – Read the books provided in his program and discuss them with him: the simple fact that you are interested in what he does can motivate him.
– Also take him to the theater to see the plays he is studying. You can also plan less classic shows, which will introduce him to other authors, often more accessible.
– Pass him the novel that you adored or the bestseller of the year which will “tilt”.
– Offer him the trendy authors, those who make the front pages of the windows or the newspapers. What works well with teens are adaptations from movies or TV series.
– Ask him to read once or twice a week an article in a daily newspaper or a magazine, the one of his choice: film critic, report on life in Colombia … In any case, in a field that interests him. Specialized books, on a sport, a style of music, for example, can also fascinate him