Here at Rebounderz, we are all about providing a fun and safe place for your kids to let loose and have a blast. That is why we run our Grand Rapids trampoline park with all of its fun attractions! But life isn’t all about fun and games, and neither is raising children. There’s a whole world that you have got to prepare them for, and no guide book in sight. One of the best things a parent can do for any child is instill in them a love of reading. To help you do that, here are some tips.

Schedule Family Reading Time

Habits require perseverance over time to create. By creating a reading habit early, you will make reading and learning easier for your child later on down the line. The best way to do this is with family reading time starting at the toddler stage. The earlier you start, the more naturally eager your child is likely to be to want to read (try getting a teenager to start reading from scratch!). That is the magic of getting started with regular reading practices early.

Join the Local Library

For most parents, going out and buying a new book or two every week isn’t an option. Luckily, that’s exactly what your local library is for! Double points if it is in walking/biking distance for your child. Not only will they have thousands of books at the edge of their fingertips, but well meaning librarians are always there to help with book choices, or spark interest in a new genre.

Anything Goes

The key to cementing a habit in children is to start where they are already interested. With reading, that means no medium goes untouched. Comic books, poetry, fiction, whatever it is your child naturally gravitates to, start there and feed the beast. Eventually, their child minds will hunger for something new, and they will expand their literary horizons.

Ask Questions

While your kids probably will not be going around joining book clubs, it is still important that they process the meaning of what they read. As a parent, one of the best ways to foster this is to ask your children questions about what they are reading. If you’ve never read it, a plot summary will do fine. But if you have read it, try to coax some real literary criticism by asking questions outside the scope of “what happened”? Questions like “what did you think of this scene?” or “how do these scenes relate to each other?” will coax your child to create their own thoughts and feelings about the piece in question.

Reward Good Behavior

In the end kids are just little people who don’t know anything, and like all people their brains function on a pleasure/pain reward system. If you want to instill good behaviors in people, you reward those good behaviors. Of course, there is always our Grand Rapids trampoline park to act as a carrot for regular reading, getting chores done, and good grades.

Set a Good Example

Kids learn by watching their parents. If you want to instill good reading habits in them, practice good reading habits yourself. They will just naturally want to imitate you. As they grow older, this can turn into family reading time that you will be able to cherish into your old age.

Hopefully these tips prove helpful in teaching your little one to read. When you are looking for a place to let them cut loose, try our Grand Rapids trampoline park! We host kids birthday parties and tons of other fun events. Come by and see our exciting attractions today!