How to get the most out of story time with your child

In our increasingly tech-heavy world, it can be easy for parents to forget about the importance of reading time. Taking time out to read a book with your little one isn’t just about calming them down or getting them ready for bed; numerous studies show that their early literacy level has a significant impact on, amongst other things, their lifelong earning potential.

However, with the ever-accelerating pace of modern life (indeed, over 75% of mothers in the UK today are in employment), there is simply less time available to dedicate towards reading. Therefore, it is imperative that we maximise the efficiency of reading time as much as we can. Here are four ways to make the most of reading time with your child.

1. Create a routine

Today’s world is full of so many constant distractions, and not just for our kids, but for us too! Approaching reading time with a “We’ll do it when we get chance” mentality is the first step on the path to failure. If you were to set yourself the goal of getting fit and healthy through diet and exercise, you wouldn’t take the necessary steps only when it was convenient and then expect good results, would you? Reading time should be viewed in the same way, as you are developing and shaping the most important part of your child’s body: their brain.

It’s a good idea to choose a location (somewhere cosy, calm and comfortable) and return there at the same time every day. This will help both you and your little one get into the right frame of mind for reading, without losing concentration. Put away your phone and turn off the TV so you can fully immerse yourself in the book and your child. How much your child gets out of reading time will depend largely on the effort you put in yourself; you after all are in control of the event, and if you’re not committed and engaged, how can you expect them to be?

2. Utilise their favourite characters

While some kids will readily take to reading and naturally enjoy it without requiring too much encouragement, others will much prefer spending their free time watching TV, surfing the internet or playing video games. How can we possibly convince them that a book can be just as entertaining as their favourite film or computer game?

Utilising the characters they spend a lot of time with across other media can be an excellent gateway into the world of reading. Familiar faces and story worlds will be more immediately relatable and easier for the imagination to process and recognise. For reading time with Little Man, we regularly go through his Spider-Man, Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy books; these of course are full of characters he knows really well from the movies, making for a continually smooth and fun reading experience.

Even if the books are just beat-by-beat printed versions of your kids’ favourite Disney film, it’s the act of reading the written word that is crucial here, and any way you can get them to do that is surely beneficial.

3. Make them feel special

What reading time also provides is a perfect opportunity for parent and child to bond. Here, it truly is just you and them, away from all the rigours and responsibilities of daily life, for a little while at least.

Make sure your child is the centre of attention throughout the reading experience. Constantly involve them by asking them how they feel about events in the story or what they think might happen next. And of course, depending on their age and level, encourage them to try and read some of it themselves wherever possible.

Another great way to really make your child feel special at reading time is by using personalised books. These types of books feature their name on the cover and throughout, and in some cases, like with this personalised Paw Patrol book, even include them as one of the main characters in the story!

4. And last but not the least, make it fun!

Though the main reason for committing to reading time is for the benefit of your child’s overall long-term development, this doesn’t mean that it needs to be a chore. There are several ways you can make reading time the most exciting and fun part of the day!

Why not take the opportunity to live out your deepest performances fantasies? Whether you fancy yourself as a singer, actor or impressionist, you can express yourself and entertain your child at the same time. Who knew that the Tiger Who Came to Tea actually spoke with a thick Australian accent?! The more out there and memorable you choose to make it, the more your child will love it. And if they feel comfortable and confident enough to try and match your exuberance at all, then that’s great too!