How to help your child to enjoy reading? - My way

Some children are born to love books and some the opposite. So what can you do to help your child to have an interest in books?

For toddlers who never show interest in books, don't give up. This is what you can do.

First, choose a theme for your story time. You are not only going to read to your child but do a series of activities related to the story first before reading to him. That way, the child will show more interest or able to relate to something that he did before. It's like a bait. :)

An example:


Theme: A story/rhyme about peas.


Rhyme: Peas Porridge


Props: frozen/fresh Pea pods, peas, stationary for craft.

Activities before reading the rhyme:

Craft - make a pea pod using colour paper/ dough. Let the child roll the peas, glue, whatever that interest him. Just be imaginative and make a pea pod.

Sing - If there is a song, go ahead and sing it with your child.

Food tasting - take out the peas and talk about them, let the child taste them, pop the peas out of the pods and just have fun and maybe recite the rhyme or sing it. Telling the child about the rhyme.

Reading aloud - Take out the book and gently tell the child mummy is going to read him a story/rhyme about peas. If the child show no interest, just continue reading with lots of expression and hand gestures and constantly reminding the child about the peas he ate, the craft he did...etc.. but if he is still not interested, it's ok. You continue to read until you finish as long as the child is around and can hear you read. Let the child play with his toys while you read. Don't expect instant results. Repetition is the key. If you think your child is not paying attention to your story... you are wrong. He may be busy playing with his toys but believe me, he is also listening to you. So every other day you read the same story/rhyme to him and after a number of sessions, try to test him by stopping at an interesting part of the story/rhyme and seek help from him! ask him what happen to this and that or ask him to point to this and that. He will most probably give you an answer or help you point.

**Tips: Choose a book with minimal sentences. Add in your own personalized sentences if you want. Sometimes, you don't have to read exactly what is written in the book. Remember, the whole idea is to make your read aloud session interesting for the child.

Just be determine and eventually your child will grow to enjoy reading with you. Tell me if it works. Mummy Darren this post is especially for you.