Reading to Kids – How to Make It A Part of Your Daily Routine

From bedtime stories to listening to a story read aloud at the library, reading to kids is something we all know is important to do. Unfortunately though, someone failed to inform our busy schedules that it’s a must do daily activity! Like so many other plans and ideas, reading to kids is often left till last on the list to do. The key to helping your kids become active readers is to be a reading role model and make reading to your kids a priority every day. We’ll explain why reading to children is so important and share some tips to help make daily reading to your kids easier too.

Why Reading to Kids is So Important

Reading to your kids helps develop their language and literacy skills. Reading aloud benefits our kids by:

• Developing their listening and comprehension skills
• Enhancing their concentration
• Increasing their vocabulary
• Encouraging a thirst for knowledge
• Expanding their interests
• Developing their imagination and creativity
• Building a deeper bond between us and our kids

To learn more about the benefits of reading to your kids, check out our article on the importance of reading each day to children.

How Can We Make Reading to Our Kids a Daily Habit?

I know I should read each day to my kids but finding the time can sometimes be challenging! That’s why it needs to become a scheduled activity, or at least one we plan for every day. Here are some ideas to help bring reading alive daily in your family:

• Put your child in charge – let them decide when they’d like to listen to a story. Often is it at bedtime as they love excuses not to sleep! But this is also a great time to wind down, cuddle and spend quality time together.
• Set a timer – once your child comes home from school or kindergarten, set a timer to go off in 30 minutes. This gives everyone time to chill, grab something to eat and do any jobs they want done. When the timer goes off, let them pick a story for you to read aloud.
• Make a star chart – make reading something to be looked forward to using a reward or star chart. After each daily story time, pop a sticker or stamp onto the chart. When you reach a set number, have a reward everyone can join in with, such as going swimming, having an ice cream or picking a DVD to watch for movie night. Having a reward ensures the kids will remind you to read to them!
• Let everyone choose their own books – there’s nothing worse than a boring book! Take turns to choose a book to read. This way everyone feels included and they’re going to listen to something they like too. A visit to the local library is a must, but don’t forget to take your child’s bookbag to keep their books in!

20 Minutes is the Magic Reading Number

Research has shown that 20 minutes per day is a good amount of time for reading to our kids or encouraging them to read independently. If this was done five days a week for a year, that’s 87 hours of quality bonding and learning time! If keeping track of all those books sounds daunting, relax because we’ve got you covered. Our handmade book bags are tough enough to last and personalised with your child’s name, they won’t get lost either. They’re also great reading motivators too as kids love having their own special named book bags.

And before you ask, yes, adults can use them too. Come on, I know you want one. Take a look through our bookbag range today.