How to get a non-reader to read
When did you last read aloud to him? Did you ever? Did you set aside time for reading in an inviting, cozy atmosphere? These are some of the questions I return, when someone approaches me and states, ‘my kid does not want to read, what can I do’.
Reading out aloud is the single-most important and highly effective strategy to encourage him to enjoy books and develop a lifetime love for reading. I have said it before, and I say it again: you can never start early enough to read to your child. Reading aloud creates the roots he requires to grow into that strong, compassionate, well-rounded human being.
I think the reason why so many young children no longer enjoy reading books as much is because of the heavy overuse of ‘smart devices’. I see kids 6 years of age with phones in their hands, crouching over it, scrolling, or playing video games and being totally oblivious to their surroundings.
I understand, we live in the Technology and Information Age, and we cannot and should not turnback time, but playing video games, or senseless browsing to preoccupy the kids or oneself is probably not the best use of our time, and it will only further stultify our society and future generations.
Until he is 13 years of age, I strongly feel he has no business to be on any type of social media. Even when he has reached that age, and you will allow him to open Pandora’s box, keep in mind that study after study shows that heavy social media use has been linked to increased depression, social anxiety, bullying, low self-esteem among kids and exposure to content that is not age-appropriate. It prevents the development of many deep-routed social and direct communication skills that we only learn and master from interacting directly with each other - and not through a device.
If you want to avoid an increased risk of trouble during his teenage years, lay his foundation early, read to him and with him to show him that reading is fun and something you deeply value personally. Give the gift of books at every possible occasion, trust me he will thank you later in life.
I have never encountered a child that did not love reading when his parents taught him a love for reading, leading by example. Even when you missed the opportunity in his infant years, early childhood, or childhood, it is never too late to start reading to him and with him and take some corrective measures. Though, it needs to come from your heart. You need to make time for reading naturally, it cannot be a task, something ‘you’ve got to do’. When you do that, you inevitably will get a non-reader to read.
Follow my hashtag #ReadToKids on my social media.
Early data from a landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018 indicates that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain's cortex, the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning. Source: HealthMatters