Life is all about choices. And kids today have more choices than ever. They can spend their weekends kicking a ball into a net, seeing the latest movie, playing video games, or listening to their downloaded playlists. When - and why - would they choose to read a book?
"Reading can be as exciting as every other choice presented in the right way: as an adventure", says R.A. Montgomery, popular children's book author. Montgomery knows a thing or two about making reading an adventure. His Choose Your Own Adventure series have sold more than 250 million copies in 38 languages.
When faced with a child without the time or inclination to sit down and read a book, Montgomery offers READ MORE, a useful acronym listing 8 ways parents, teachers, librarians and booksellers can make reading more appealing, relevant and adventurous:
Routine: Make reading out loud to your children a part of every day life. Read together as part of your bedtime routine and other quiet, family times.
Expeditions: Go to the bookstore and library just for fun. Let your kids pick out their own books or other reading choices. Suggest a section of the library they've never used before.
Act on it: Be a reader yourself. Let your kids see you reading. Show them the ways in which reading is an important part of your life. Keep books, magazines and newspapers all over your house.
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Discuss what you read: Talking about reading helps kids remember the ideas and events found while reading and connect them to their own lives.
Make up word games: Can you rhyme every sentence? Can you answer every question with a question? Use written clues for treasure hunts. Write secret notes. Play with language in conversation and in writing.
Give them a choice: Let kids choose to read without judging their choices, even comic books.
Reorganize: Make your bookshelves bigger and better than your television set. Put books in every room - even the bathroom.
Explore: Discover new authors and new kinds of reading with your kids. Track down poems, hunt for historical novels, seize science fiction. There's a whole world of reading out there. Go for it!