Encourage your children to read with these four tips

For parents, watching a child master a new skill can feel like witnessing a small miracle. And when it comes to literacy skills, parents and caregivers can help their children accelerate even faster with a little bit of time and love.

A United Way volunteer reads to kids at a local elementary school.

That’s why we’re sharing different ways you can help your little one develop a lifelong passion for reading.

Consistency counts

Pick out a few books to read with your child each night before bedtime. Not only will a great way for your child to wind down before they drift into dreamland, it will also instill a daily reading habit and foster strong early literacy skills.

Act it out

Give each character a different voice! Try using stuffed animals to play different characters! Encourage your child’s creativity by letting them act out different roles, too. When you bring books to life, your child will be more engaged.

Go beyond the book

The story doesn’t have to end once the last page has been turned. Encourage your child to talk about what they’ve read and ask questions. Have your child add on to the story once it’s over. What happens to the characters? Where are they now? The conversation doesn’t have to end just because the book has!

Try reading more complex books earlier

Children have an easier time understanding complex sentence structures when they hear it read aloud, so feel free to mix in some chapter books during reading time to help them expand their vocabulary skills.

Before third grade, children are learning to read. After that, they read to learn about other subjects. That’s why it’s critical for parents to expose children to books before they enter school.

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