Is it possible to make children love reading in the technology frenzy of our age?

The love of reading is a habit that every parent wishes their child to have. In fact, it is a lifestyle that every adult wants to have. There have been friends around you who complained that they couldn't find a chance to read a book, or parents who said that their children are avoiding reading books… Especially in recent years, technology that has been included in almost every moment of our lives and reading with phones and tablets, which we are used to seeing even in very young age groups, is the vengeance of the age. We can say that it is on its way to becoming. While we, as adults, might prefer to watch a few episodes of TV series instead of reading 5-10 pages of books, it should not be surprising that children choose tablets instead of books... Even though we may seem out of luck in the face of technology, it is not impossible to instill a love of books in children. With the right approach and interesting choices, you can enable your children to acquire the habit of reading from a young age; Remember “The tree bends when it is wet.”

Be a role model

Remember that children are very successful observers. No matter what you tell them, they focus more on what you do than what you say. If you want them to make reading a habit, first let them see that it's an ongoing habit of yours. After telling them it's time to read a book, being busy on the phone or spending time on the computer may give the wrong message. In the evening, you can plan a reading time that every family member can attend, and make sure that everyone is interested in their own book. During this time, if possible, muting all technological stimuli for a while will make your job easier. You can perform collective readings as well as individual reading times. From time to time, you can read aloud, read a favorite book and ask everyone in the house to listen. A small theater where you can perform with clothes suitable for the characters in the book can also make the reading time more enjoyable.

Create a stimulating/encouraging environment

If you want children to be involved in literacy from a young age, it is very important to provide an encouraging environment. Printed materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, pictures, brochures, catalogues, flyers, posters and similar can help you create a stimulating and supportive environment. Having a separate library, if possible, both in your living room and in your child's room can also support the consolidation of reading habits.

Offer age-appropriate books

Especially in early childhood, his works that contain more pictures, less text, and are larger than classical books; help them choose books in the appropriate subject and structure in their later ages. Books that are difficult to understand and not suitable for their age can be the biggest obstacle to children's love of reading. That's why the right choices are of great importance.

Engage in books without reading

You can organize the library in your home, dust the bookshelves with your children, and categorize the books according to their colors, sizes, genres or authors and perform an entertaining activity in order to spend free time and spend time without reading with books. In this way, you can create an environment suitable for your children to develop a sense of responsibility and to be more interested in books. Cleaning will also be a bonus to you. 😊

Let them make their own choices

It is a well-known fact that tastes are not debatable… From a young age, children also begin to discover their own tastes in every subject; colors, food, clothes, toys, hobbies, books… Let them choose the series of characters they love or the types of stories they enjoy reading. Do book shopping together if possible. Once you're sure you're in an age-appropriate space, let them review the books and buy what they like. In fact, if possible, make book shopping a routine; Set a suitable time for 1-2 books per week or monthly book purchases.

Gift card

Today, when it comes to buying gifts for children, toys or technological devices may come to mind first. However, the most useful gift that never goes out of style is books. Of course, buying books as gifts all the time can become boring for children after a point, but there is a formula for transforming this too: gift cards. When you give gift cards to your children from the stationery or bookstore, you can explain that they can buy the book they want with this card. So you can go to the bookstore together, teach them how to use the gift card, while having them choose books that suit their tastes. If you wish, you can even add a little financial literacy and show how much money the balance in the gift card corresponds to and what price range a book can be bought.