5 tips to get your kids reading on World Book Day 2012

If you weren’t already aware, today is World Book Day – the UK’s largest celebration of reading.

Marked in over 100 countries and backed by UNESCO it serves as the perfect excuse to thrust reading material, preferably a book, in the face of your child while they sit hypnotized in front of the television.

Thousands of schools and nurseries are joining in up and down the country and with 14 million book vouchers being distributed and hundreds of events taking place there’s plenty to excite budding bookworms.

Alas, if you’re not able to join a Where’s Wally ‘flash mob’, don’t have a ticket for one of the author talks and have waited in vain for an invitation to a literary themed fancy dress competitions do not fear…you can still get involved by downloading the World Book Day 2012 app.

Featuring exclusive stories and samples by some of the biggest names in Young Adult Fiction, including Neil Gaiman, Malorie Blackman and Anthony Horowitz, plus hot off the press book news and extras including book trailers and author interviews it’s a great tool for getting your young ones excited about reading.

Communication is key

Make sure you maintain a regular dialogue with your child about reading. Ask them questions about the books they are reading at school, tell them about your own favourite childhood books, keep track of the types of stories they enjoy and be sure to set an example by reading yourself and treating books with respect.

Get into a regular reading routine

Ensure that your child gets into the habit of reading regularly by setting aside time every evening. It doesn’t have to be for hours, but even short stints with a book on a daily basis will help pique their interest. When your kids are reading at home be sure to show an interest by asking questions about plot lines, characters and pictures.

Praise them

Encourage your child to read by constantly praising their progress when they read to you. If they stumble on a particularly difficult word, help them find out what it means by using a dictionary and practice the pronunciation and spelling with them. If you’re out and about be sure to point out interesting words you see written on signs, packaging, buses and alike.

Make it entertaining

If you’re reading to your little one do so with an animated voice. If you demonstrate excitement at the subject matter it is more likely your child will maintain interest. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.

Gain access to new reading material

While its more than likely your child’s school will have a library, why not join a public library as well and visit it together to select new books on a weekly basis. Alternatively, if you fancy joining the technological revolution that is e-book readers, you can download a whole host of free titles on gadgets like the Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad.

Which books do your children enjoy? What was your favourite book as a child? How do you like to keep your children entertained in the evening? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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