Keeping Elementary Students Reading over Winter Break

The importance of reading cannot be underestimated. Whatever the job of an individual may be, a good reader always stands out from the rest of the crowd. Therefore, it is vital that children inculcate the habit of reading from their childhood. As a result, school teachers and parents must encourage their kids to read. A good reader will stand apart from others as a good reader is always knowledgeable and more articulate than others who did not read a lot during their childhood. Also, it is a well-known fact that the habits picked up by a person during their childhood last a lifetime and are not easy to lose. We must begin at the elementary level and keep students interested in reading throughout their school year, including during the holidays.

The role of teachers and parents is a vital one in this aspect. When children are at an elementary level, they are very impressionable and often look up to their role models for inspiration. There is a famous saying that goes “Children do what they see, not what we tell them to”.  If children will see their parents reading any book, magazine, etc. it is natural that they will pick up a book too and try to read. Same goes for teachers, if they encourage students by incorporating reading into their daily schedule and not only for school, they will take up reading during holidays as well.

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This will happen if teachers curate fun activities that involve reading in them. During holidays, students while taking their well-earned rest often forget about school work or reading, etc. Therefore, it is important that students develop a daily reading habit which is a more sustainable option for the future.

Here a few pointers that you can use to keep elementary students reading over winter break. There pointers are especially created by our experts here at Vnaya so that students realize that reading can be fun. Follow these pointers to get students interested in reading:-

1. Make reading fun:- No student will be interested in reading if they are made to read same monotonous books again and again. Rather ask students about the type of reading material they would be interested in. Once you know their interest areas, teachers can ask the library to arrange those books for the children. Distribute the reading material and let them take it home for winter break so that they can read on their own pace. Do not make any timelines regarding completion of the task; this will make it seem like a task. Reading can be a fun thing to do if the right guidance is involved.
   
   
2. From books to the theatre:- Take the books to the theatre. Choose a drama period book for the students to read while assigning them roles in the book. Once the characters are finalized, tell them to study their characters over winter break and prepare their roles with the help for their parents. Once the school reopens, organize a little play where the students will get to play their characters. They will remember this throughout their life as it is so fun.
   
   
3. Use display cards:- If you know any student who struggles in reading, you can make display cards for them. These display cards will the student to memorize the words easily. Draw or print a picture alongside the word they usually struggle to pronounce or spell, this will make the word association really simple. When words and pictures are joined together, it becomes rather easy to understand any given concept.
   
   
4. Talk to the kids:- This tip is a special one for the parents. If you feel that your child is struggling at identifying words, then talking to them would come in handy. Talk to them (a lot) will help your child in learning enunciation of different words. Point and talk to your children, as this will help them in identifying various objects around them. This will later translate to their reading sphere as well.
   
   
5. Practice and Positivity:- In the end, there is nothing else that will inculcate the habit of reading in students. When your child makes a mistake while reading don’t discourage them, rather ask them to repeat the correct word to you. Tell your children that failing is okay and that to be truly good at something, you need to practice daily.

These pointers will help tremendously at keeping students interested in reading all along the school year let alone their holidays.

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