Just imagine the time when you were a kid, and your mother’s bedtime story was the only way to keep you on track with your sleeping schedule. Go back to the moment when you experienced being caught in the pages of a book for the first time—the thrill and excitement at how words on paper can do that. Remember the first love note you ever wrote. That time was when you felt like the words were not enough, yet at the same time, they captured a sense of what you were feeling. All these are proof of the way words can create worlds, where people can wander without bounds.
The power of words can open people’s imagination where possibilities are limitless. This is why stories play a vital role in the growth and development of kids. In their adolescence, the characters they got to know turn into friends, and the world they enter serves as their escape. When they reach their grown-up years, they learn to value the existence of books, even academic ones, in their knowledge formation.
Books play a vital role in developing two facets of every individual: academic learning and empathy. This is why teachers encourage their classes to read and write. Nowadays, there are new ways to support this endeavor. There are projects that aim to promote creativity and collaboration among kids. These projects are under companies such as the mighty Studentreasures Publishing. They give kids the chance to have the stories they have written and illustrated be published.
Kids can easily be taught. Even so, helping them form a reading habit requires extra effort from parents and teachers. Here are some additional activities to help your child form a reading habit:
Narrate a book in an animated way
Reading aloud can help kids garner interest in reading. Make sure that you choose a book that will appeal to the age of the person you’re reading to. Add excitement to the narration by reading the story in an animated way. This will also teach them the depths of imagination—the ways where the mind can go when a story is involved.
Show your kid that you are also an avid reader
Parents are the kids’ first role models. They tend to copy their parents. When they see you reading, they will consider it as the norm. As they witness that you give importance to the written word, it will generate the same respect from them. Encourage them to join you. For sure, they will ask lots of questions. It will not be difficult to have the book you’re reading to spark your kid’s interest.
Talk about the book after reading
Ask your kids about their favorite part in the book they have read. That way, you can suggest other stories with the same vibe. Inquire what they would change in the story if they had the chance so that they can use their imagination and maybe even start to write.
Take them to a library or bookstore
Show your kids that books are accessible. Taking them to a library or bookstore will expose them to the different genres out there. Give them the option to choose the books they want to read next. Doing so will allow them to create their own library at home.
Storytelling is a magical tool. It can move hearts and change the world. Open the doors for your kid and let them wander and wonder through the written word.