motivate kids

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney

For those of us with children, bedtime stories were most likely a ritual. In fact, “Goodnight Moon” and “I Love you Forever” were a few of the popular books in our library. Early reading experiences can influence learning, so how do you keep young children interested and motivated?

An effective way to encourage children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them; the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn pages!  Child development expert Marilyn Jager Adams said, “reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read.” Here is a list of a few great ways to motivate your children to read:

1. Let your child pick the book when it’s story time.
2. When he or she gets tired of the book, let them pick another story.
3. Integrate your child’s name into the book; make them feel “involved” with the story.
4. Visit the library and let them check out new books.
5. Create a fun and comfortable reading space for them.

Here is a bonus tip for teachers in early education – give your kids reading certificates! If your students reach a goal, why not reward them? Make the certificates that much more special by putting them into a plaque! Our plaque kits are easy to assemble and affordable! Stock up on plaques today!

Do you have any other tips for keeping young children motivated about books? What are your kids’ favorite books? We’d love to hear them, so find us on Facebook and share them on our wall!