Whether you are a
Montessori preschool parent planning ahead or your child is already reading and you want to encourage their interest and progress, there are several fun ways to motivate your Montessori reader.
At the heart of the Montessori method is the acknowledgment of children’s innate curiosity, and like with other learning topics, the key to getting your child excited about reading is to tap into that curiosity. Read on to learn three different strategies for finding your child’s interests to cultivate a lifelong love of reading.
Subscribe to magazines
For any child, there is something uniquely fun about getting something just for them in the mail. Even better if that something is a magazine that they are excited to read. There are many different magazine publications that cater to children at all developmental stages, even some for babies and toddlers. For younger children, these magazines have colorful illustrations, games and puzzles, and engaging storylines. For older children, magazines like Time for Kids have thought-provoking articles at their reading level and striking photos that pique their curiosity. Let your child explore the different subscriptions and find the nature, history, culture or fiction magazine that gets them excited to check the mail.
Head to the library
While your child is no doubt familiar with their
Montessori elementary school library, your local or city library offers something altogether different. Most public libraries pride themselves on their children’s library and all the special programming that comes with it. A trip to your library can become an adventure, where your child can browse and choose books to read there or to take home, or where they can participate in a library-hosted enrichment activity. Libraries are a great place to go in the summer to stay cool or to pass the winter hours when it’s too cold to go outside. It is also a great place to cultivate your child’s independence - encourage them to explore and make their own choices in their book selections.
Find opportunities to read everywhere
As children
learn how to read, you can encourage them by providing small, everyday opportunities to practice. Reading unlocks a whole new level of experiencing their world and you can highlight that. For example, when you are at the grocery store and your child wants to be helpful, ask them to read to aisle headings or be in charge of your grocery list. As you drive around town, see if they can help with navigation by reading street signs. Even reading the back of cereal boxes in the morning is a simple way to motivate your child to read. As they gain mastery in reading, they will experience the gratification of all the knowledge and independence that ability affords them, and lay the foundation for a
lifelong love of reading.
