Does your child like to read? Would he rather sit all day and play video games instead of read? The electronic age of gadgets has seriously affected literacy among young people today. If your child doesn’t read much, you should consider the adverse effects this could have on their life. Promoting literacy is important.

Why Read?

Approximately 50 percent of the nation's unemployed youth age 16-21 are functional illiterate, with virtually no prospects of obtaining good jobs (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). This startling fact alone shows you how imperative it is that our children are involved in literacy activities.

Not only is reading important in career mapping, it helps to build your child’s imagination. Children have become so accustomed to watching movies or playing video games that their imagination is seriously lacking. Many children today don’t even know what imagination means. Reading builds that imagination and helps them to learn how to envision what they read.

Reading also expands your child’s world. It takes them to places they may never go. It expands their horizons and can cause them to think beyond their own world and present time.

Finally, reading is educational, as you already know. Being able to enjoy reading will help your child get through school much better than those who dislike reading.

How to Encourage Your Child to Read

If your child isn’t very enthusiastic about reading, it may take some time, but you can work on building their interest in reading. Here are a few ways to do just that:

Frequent Visits to the Library

If you have access to a public library locally, you can use this to your advantage. Plan special trips every couple of weeks. Most public libraries offer summer reading programs. This is a fantastic time to encourage your child to read more, as well as try different kinds of books.

Trips to the Bookstore

In addition to visiting the library, trips to the bookstore should be fun and exciting. Encourage your child to choose a book she wouldn’t normally read. Reading from a variety of genres will not only be a new adventure, but will show your child that there are all sorts of writers and books available. So if she doesn’t like one, she can always try another. Offer a fun trip to the bookstore as a treat for good grades.

Award Your Child For Excelling in Reading

Another fun way to encourage your child to read is to give him rewards for reading. Yes, reward your child for reading. Using the same principle as public library summer reading programs, create a reading chart with your child. Then plan some fun prizes as rewards for your child reading a certain amount of books. You might even offer a grand prize (something more pricey that your child has been wanting, like a new video game) in exchange for your child writing a short book review or report on each book he reads. Make it challenging, but fun, and your child will get on board very fast.