Snuggle Up And Enjoy Holiday Reading
Reading Time: 2 min
In much of North America, cold winter months and shorter days are upon us. Children are spending more time indoors and the time to cozy up with some family centered reading has never been better. There are many ways to keep kids engaged in reading during this time while spending quality time together. Gifting holiday themed books creates a new sense of excitement around reading, while “old favorites” build on tradition. The emotional attachment that comes with traditions like these is what makes life-long memories so sweet. To help, we have outlined some tips for parents on how to create reading strategies for kids during the holiday & winter months:
Host a Live Action Reading Night
Invite friends & family to choose a character from a favorite book and invite them to read out loud as one of the book's characters. This creates a fun, interactive, live-action experience for all involved. If the group has some especially theatrical participants, encourage them to perform with fun voices and act out parts of the book (don’t forget to choose a narrator). This is a great way to combine the love of books with the feel of a family game night.
Read Books Together and Share On What You Loved
In traditional book club style - invite family, friends, and neighbors to read a holiday or seasonal themed book, then talk about them as a group (in person or virtually). Discussion questions could include “What parts of the story did you like best & why?” “What part of the book surprised you the most?”, “Who/what was your favorite character & why?”. This is a great way to improve reading comprehension for children while creating a wonderful new tradition that is enjoyed by all.
Experience New, Far Away Places
If it’s cold and snowy where you live, use books to explore what winter looks like in other parts of the world. Some good examples are non-fiction books about the southern hemisphere where “Winter” is warm. The summer solstice in the southern hemisphere happens around December 21st and includes places like Australia, South America and South Africa. If you live in a warm place during the winter months, choose books that explore the North Pole, Iceland, Alaska or Antarctica.
Use Technology to Engage Young Readers
The use of technology is always a fun way to engage young readers, especially if they are reluctant. A reading app like Lou Adventures is a great way to keep kids immersed in a virtual story while sharpening their reading comprehension & fluency skills. Lou the dog guides the child through the story and takes them on a virtual adventure. They will have so much fun, they won’t even realize how much they are learning.
