By Nohad Mouawad

 

When it rains in the UAE, is your first instinct to curl up on your sofa or by your windowsill with a good book and a hot cup of coffee or tea? Are you part of a book club? Do you have a kindle or e-reader?

What about your kids? Are they like most kids these days who prefer Netflix, video games and apps to the feel of a good book in their hands?

I think that once we become parents, we sometimes can’t even find the time to read a book nor stay awake to finish reading a single page. So, how then can we awaken the love for reading a good book in our home, and especially with our kids who need to read for their own learning and creativity?

Model It: Your own habits really impact your kids, so it’s a good idea to pick back up a book, newspaper, magazine or Kindle and get to reading in front of your children. Even if it’s 10 to 15 minutes a day, modelling reading in front of your kids can get them interested in reading themselves, and they will probably be tempted to join you.

Make a Reading Nook: Creating a little inviting space to read can really entice kids to look at a book. Even if you live in a small apartment, you don’t need much to create this cozy space. All you need are a couple pillows (or as many as you like) a cozy blanket and some stuffed animals. If you happen to have a beanbag or sleeping bag then that’s a bonus. If you really want to get creative, drape a sheet across some chairs or even your kid’s desk to make a little tent that they can crawl into. Put some colorful and interesting books in their “reading nook” and invite them to look at them. You’ll have a curious reader in no time!

Start with Picture Books, Comic Books and Graphic Novels: Kids don’t usually begin by reading War and Peace or very thick novels. Instead, they begin by being read to from shorter picture books every night at bedtime, and by looking at these books themselves. Reading is simply a habit of looking through a book and following the pages and the story’s sequence. For that reason, it’s a good idea to offer your primary or elementary school kids things like picture books, comic books, and graphic novels, before they move on to chapter books. Turning the pages and discovering the story help them develop a love of books that will later translate into a love of reading (with or without pictures).

Link it to Their Interests: Don’t be afraid to buy your kids books to do with fun subjects that they like! These include fiction and non-fiction books. A book about Pokemon characters is just as valuable in getting them to read as a book about science. If your kid loves football, get them a book with football fun facts. If your kid loves Disney characters, get them lots of stories with their favorite ones. If your little one adores unicorns, there are plenty of book series about these too. The point is that reading should be fun and not a chore, and they should think of books as a treat.

Use the Ipad: It may seem counterintuitive and strange, but the iPad can actually help your kids learn to read and read more. Apps like Raz Kids and Epic help kids start reading and keep reading, and they will even read the book out loud to them when they are first starting. You can change the settings on your tablet device so that they can’t exit the app to go to a different one while they’re using it, as well. For the techie generation, reading on a device may seem natural and more exciting.

Take them to Book Fairs, Readings and Signings: If you really want to bring a love of books into your home, then get out of home and check out book fairs! The Emirates Literature Festival is on right now, and it’s a great place to take kids to see and buy lots of cool books, as well as attend book signings with authors or listening to a book reading. A festival like this brings books to life and make them cool and exciting again.

 

Great Books and Book Series for Kids

Ages 3 to 6:

Julia Donaldson Books

I am a Hero Books (personalized)

Giraffes Can’t Dance

Princesses Wear Pants

Piggy and Gerald by Mo Williams

 

Aged 7 to 9:

Dog Man Series

Captain Underpants Series

Roald Dahl Books

Guinness Book of World Records

Spy School series

Aged 9 to 11:

David Walliams Books

Dork Diaries

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Babysitters’ Club Graphic Novels

 

Image Credits:

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