March 3rd 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the World Book Day celebrations. You might remember enjoying the day yourself, or if you have a child whose school or nursery encourage the celebrations, then you’re bound to know the importance of the day. In case your child wants to dress up as their favorite book character, or if the day inspires them to pick up a book, we’ve compiled a short list of just some of the ways to make reading more intriguing and interactive for your child.
Read on to find out more.
The importance of reading
The pages of books hold much more than words, and reading has so many powerful benefits that both you and your child can gain from reading together regularly. When you turn the pages, you’ll transport both you and your child to new lands, make new friends, discover treasures and secrets, as well as spark endless imagination as you venture out amongst the sea of words, together. Popular nursery chain Kiddi Caru promote the power of reading, revealing that it can not only help with parent and child bonding, but assists in developing cognitive and language skills, increases social and emotional development, and develops a lifelong love of learning.
Making it interactive
By making a book interactive, you can help to bring the story to life, sparking creativity and imagination, as well as making reading a more immersive, exciting experience. There are many ways in which you can make reading interactive for your child, including:
· Changing location
Stepping away from your usual reading place can be a great way to immediately encourage your child’s curiosity. By taking a book outside, and wrapping up in blankets on a cold day whilst reading a winter book, or sitting in a meadow in spring, or even under the stars at nighttime could create a new, fun and unexpected element of reading for your child.
By changing their surroundings, you’re creating an immersive, interactive environment for them to fully indulge into the story. Why not literally go on a bear hunt whilst reading “We’re going on a bear hunt”?
· Ask questions and play
If your child is particularly curious, then you could involve them in the story you are reading, by asking them what they would do, or how they would like the book to finish. For example, if you stop the story and ask your little one what they think should happen next, chances are, they’ll go off on a tangent as their imagination runs wild. You could then just finish your new story together, or ask them if they want to find out what really happened.
On top of this, having a thumbs up/thumbs down system in place for them to let you know their opinions on what’s happening in the story can be a helpful way to find out whether they are enjoying it.
To make reading even more interactive, you could enjoy the story using their toys or some puppets to act out what’s happening. Make it like playtime as you bring the characters to life, together.
· Books with flaps and things to feel
If playtime is a bit too lively, and you’re both in the mood to just sit and read, then sharing books with flaps, different textures, and other interactive elements within the pages can be a great way to keep your child engaged. Sticker books and colouring books with audio tapes can be a great alternative to reading when you’re short on time, and something as simple as a pop-up book could be game-changing.
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