Tips and Tricks to Help Motivate New Readers

From reading outdoors to creating a personalised bookmark, these ideas are designed to help motivate new and young readers. 

The act of reading can be just as creative as the story itself. Some people prefer reading quietly at home, whereas others love to listen on the go, such as using an audiobook on a car journey. Gadgets are a great way to soak up a story too, from tablets to eReaders. Remember, wherever we are and whatever we are doing, reading is always possible!

Ways to encourage reading

•         Encourage reading habits outdoors. Take a book to the park, the café or on a picnic.
•         Think about creating relaxed reading sessions outside on a bean bag or a big blanket in the garden.
•         Find a library, it can be lots of fun to visit one and choose a book.

To establish lifelong reading habits, routine and regular reading moments can be important for younger learners.  It’s important to allow young readers to have a choice and autonomy in the process too though, so they enjoy participating. Think about where they prefer reading, and what books they most enjoy.

Here are some choices you can offer which can help motivate young learners:

•         Shall we read outside today?
•         Let’s listen to your favourite book in the car on the way to school.
•         Let’s look at the eBook, can you re-tell the story using all the visuals?

Using a bookmark

Encourage learners to use a bookmark to mark their page. Make it clear it isn’t always getting to the end of a book. Sometimes it’s just as valuable to read a few pages at a time – just don’t forget where you stopped reading!

•         Ask children to make their own bookmark, so it’s personalised.
•         Let them choose a bookmark from a bookshop.
•         Try using a clip-on bookmark.
•         Create a new bookmark for each book they read, with the bookmark reflecting the topic or characters from the book.

How the Read It Yourself Series can help

The Read It Yourself Series is designed so that children can read for themselves while creating independence in the reading process. There is a range of titles to suit every reader and the appealing visuals help reinforce language throughout the book. There is a picture glossary that can help consolidate key language, as pictures make language more memorable.

Discover some titles in the Read it Yourself series: I am a Cricketer | Healthy Eating | Let’s Celebrate | Sharks