Reading is the gateway for a child to the outside world, enriching their knowledge, enhancing their values, and communication skills. When you read to your child, you are giving them a vast embrace filled with emotions and memories that you both live through with every story. Therefore, in this article, we present activities that enrich the value of reading for children and make them more engaged:
1. Story Reading Exchange between Adults and Children:
Whether it’s between you and your child or among the children themselves, exchanging reading roles allows feelings of love and warmth to emerge. As the child reads, their confidence grows and they feel proud, a feeling that is reciprocated by others when they see the child’s progress in reading skills. This turns reading into a joint adventure filled with magical stories.
2. Going on a Trip to a Place from the Story:
Taking a trip to a location mentioned in the story, such as the zoo, a store, a museum, or a playground, allows your child to live out the role of the hero in the story and turns imagination into reality. This develops a spirit of adventure in your child and makes the story closer to their heart. Choosing clothes similar to the hero’s attire enhances the memories of this trip.
3. Making a Mask for a Story Character:
In addition to fostering creativity when the child makes the mask themselves or with your help, the mask becomes a symbol of the adventures and explorations imagined and experienced with the story, increasing their attachment to their favorite character.
Imagine how your child feels when you wear the mask and recite the favorite hero’s catchphrase, surprising them that you will be reading the story tonight. Imagine the excitement and cooperation as you choose a favorite character each day and wear the designated mask! Your evenings will be filled with lots of laughter.
4. What’s in the Story Game:
After finishing the story, race with your child to gather items you both noticed in the story that are present in your home! A wooden spoon, a plant, colored pencils, a school bag, or a lunch box, a toy, or a painting—the winner is the one who gathers the most items.
Then, recall together who each item belonged to and where it appeared in the story. Recalling the story’s events in this way enhances the pleasurable reading memories. This game boosts the competitive spirit and fun in the family, as the child races to gather items with joy and excitement, feeling accomplished with each item collected. It enriches the reading experience, making it a rich experience of love and interaction with all family members.
5. Story Acting – Live the Exciting Atmosphere:
Practice with your children acting out the story, repeating dialogues and scenes, and mimicking movements, which enhances your joy and sense of belonging to the characters. Mistakes and stumbles that occur create many happy laughs. Capture videos during practice, and how wonderful it would be to perform the story at a family gathering at the grandparents’ house or at school, and then show the backstage training and your funny videos afterward!
Be the real heroes of the story, order a custom story like “Mom and I Are a Great Team” or “ My Magical Wardrobe” from Kitabyana and experience an unforgettable adventure!
No doubt, such an experience will make the story a source of memories of special and happy moments that you all share together!
6. Write a Letter to Your Favorite Story Hero:
Express to the story’s hero or your favorite character your feelings, and bring back memories of excitement and thrill you felt while reading the story by writing a letter to the story’s hero, or recording a video, then read what you wrote together! It will be a unique and special experience where story characters become part of your daily life, linking you with strong emotions, and enhancing communication bonds among family members!
In the end, remember that reading is not just an educational activity; every story we tell becomes part of our day, we live through different emotions and situations with it, and it forms the foundation in building the characters, minds, and hearts of our children!
This article was written by Sirine Awad and edited by Rasha Al-Tuhtamouni from the “Kulna Ommahat” team, an Arab platform for supporting Arab mothers in career and psychological development.