Category: reading nooks

How To Get Your Kids to Really Love Reading

Posted on | by KD Novelties

The best way to forge a positive relationship with reading for your child is to help encourage a love for reading. A love of reading is a love of learning, and it is not only linked to better academic success and performance, but it can also lead to a more fulfilling life, overall.

Make reading a part of your lives. Making something a habit is one thing, and it can certainly help. If you schedule in some nightly story time every day, you can certainly make reading a part of your child’s life. It can help reading feel like a normal part of the day instead of an extraneous activity that they may or may not feel like doing. Setting aside time to read can differ from family to family depending on their schedule and their preferences, so find a time that works for you and make it stick!

Let them see you read, too. Reading with your child is one thing, but it helps if they see you read on your own, too. Children learn a lot by seeing, therefore, you’ll notice that they will take after you by repeating certain mannerisms, using certain words, and wanting to do all of the things that you do. Making reading a part of your life can help you build your own positive habits but it can help send a positive message to your kids, as well.

Books, books, books! Populating your home with books and other sorts of reading material is also a good way to encourage reading. Having a variety of books, magazines, coffee table books, comics, etc. can help further drive the notion that reading is a part of life and it is more likely to become a part of your child’s life, too. Even if they simply peruse catalogs or look through classics, having books around can work wonders. In addition to books around the house, also try to give your child a little library of their own.

Personalize their books. Make them the star. When populating your child’s own personal library, consider getting personalized books as well. Personalized books include your child’s name, and sometimes other attributes, in order to create a unique story where they are at the center of all the action. Personalized books, like those we publish, can help make your child’s library feel more like their own, and  they can help make books and reading more of a personal experience, too. Personalized books are great for kids who may be reluctant readers, but once they hear that they are the hero, they will be much more inclined to want to find out more!

Personalized Books

Get graphic. Graphic novels and comics have come a long way, and nowadays there are plenty of critically acclaimed works that adults are scrambling to get their hands on. Comics and graphic novels can be a great gateway to reading for kids who may be reluctant to read, kids who may have issues with reading because of a reading disability like dyslexia, or even children who have difficulties imagining abstract concepts because of another learning disability. Images and dynamic scenes play out across the pages and can help instill interest in kids of all kinds.

Let them get the pick of the week. Kids may not always like what they’re reading in school, especially if it is for a project or an assignment. There may be a number of different reasons as to why this is, but many children might feel turned off because of the link to school and homework specifically. Remember to let your kids pick out what they want to read every once in awhile.  Give them some space and freedom to broaden their horizons and pique their own sense of curiosity whether they are looking for a book to read for fun or a book to share with you at story time.

Consider tablets and other formats. With apps and games becoming increasingly popular, as well as general mobile-device usage, kids may also have fun playing around with ebooks. Ebooks can sometimes be interactive as well, including game-like aspects and illustrations that can further help interest them in the story they’re reading.

Give them incentives. You might feel like bribing them, but after a while kids may begin to continue reading on their own without any idea of a reward. Let them stay up later to read, offer to buy them books or take them to parks and other places that are near the library, etc. You can try rewarding them for reading books, however, making it seem like more of an accomplishment when they do can help to instill a feeling of satisfaction on their own that can drive their interest and keep it going the more they read.

Make reading a special treat, too. Making reading an everyday thing is important, but it can be special, too. Try making a dedicated reading nook in your home or in your child’s room to help encourage them to use the space. You can also make family outings of going to the bookstore or to the library to get new books a special gift.

Let them work at their own pace. Whether your child wants to eat up books or take them in slowly, make sure that you still respect their wishes. Instilling an interest in books and encouraging them to do so is important, and it can work – as long as you don’t push them too hard and allow them to soak stories in at their own pace.

Reading Nooks For Kids

Posted on | by KD Novelties

For book lovers, reading is a special activity that can instantly transport you to other worlds and open your imagination to new ideas. If you ask any avid reader about where they like to do their reading or when, they will likely have a few favorite places on their list or specific times of day that they devote to reading. Implementing these sorts of ideas can really help get kids into reading, too. For the most part, many parents make special time for reading, which usually ends up being just before bed. As commonplace as this practice is, it can really help parents spend quality time with their children before drifting off to sleep where dreams can then work their magic. But if you want to help make reading extra special for your kids, then why not take it a step further?

When it comes to favorite places to read, many people have a favorite chair or even a reading nook. Curating a special reading space for children can help make the exploration of a story that much more exciting. Making a quiet, designated space for reading can help entice reluctant readers by making the act of reading more of an activity that sparks their imagination. Creating a space where kids can explore stories can be quite easy, too, so whether your child already loves reading or if you are looking for new ways to help a reluctant reader give books a better try, then you can get started creating a cozy reading nook in your home.
Reading nooks can be anywhere, but it is preferable that they be in a relatively quiet part of the house. If you do not have any designated spaces, you can easily make one!

Reading Room
If you have a nursery or a play area, you can easily convert a corner to accommodate books and other accessories that will make your reading experience all the more cozy and focused. Even though there are other toys and things around, making a space where your child can feel like it is really their own can help. If you don’t have a play room, you can find an unused corner of the living room, a bedroom, or an office that you can turn into a cozy reading space. Designate a small section and set up some bookshelves to show that the area is dedicated to this activity.

Makeshift Spaces
If you don’t have a separate room to devote to reading or other activities, you can improvise! A toy house or tent can be set up anywhere and it can instantly be transformed into a cozy and intimate locale where kids can dive into a new book with some privacy.

Blanket Forts
If you want to read together, you can set up a bigger tent outdoors or even make a blanket fort – because what child doesn’t absolutely love a blanket fort? Setting up a tent or a fort can be a fun memory-making activity in and of itself, and you can settle down with a fun book afterward as a reward for your efforts.

Fairy Lights
No matter where you end up setting up your child’s reading space, adding some string lights, lanterns, and other similar sorts of decorations can easily make any space look and feel magical. The lights you string up can act as both an element of ambiance as well as a means to make sure that your child can see the pages of their books clearly, too!

Make it Cozy
Add some fun, mismatched throw pillows and some favorite stuffed toys to the mix and kids are sure to want to hunker down and dive into a book or two. Pillows can make any space inviting and comfortable, but by adding some fun and color these pillows can also make the space feel more special and fun too.

Lastly make sure to add personalized kids books to their reading nook to make it extra special for
them!

Snow Day! No School! What to Do?

Posted on | by KD Novelties
Snowy days can certainly be exciting. While kids may be tempted to enjoy the outdoors, there is usually a time limit before toes get too cold. There are plenty of fun, cozy things to do inside on a snowy day to keep any child (or adult for that matter) thoroughly entertained.
Reading in an indoor fort

1.  Build a Fort. This is a rainy or snow day mainstay. Building a fort can be loads of fun and many of the other things that you can do on a cozy day in the house can also be enjoyed from within the fort, so why not make it first on your list? Gather your pillows, cushions, extra blankets and guest linens into the most lavish and/or most comfortable concoction you and your child can dream up. Light it up with some glowy lamps, night-lights, or strings of Christmas lights you haven’t quite gotten around to putting away yet.

2.     Read a Book. Once you’ve built your fort, you are ready to go. Reading is a great activity for snow days. Whether kids are reading to themselves, reading aloud or everyone is sharing in the experience of a well-told story, reading is a great activity. Books can help transport your imaginations to all of the places the snow is keeping you from getting to. Read a book to unlock your child’s imagination and see where it leads.

3.     Act out a Book. Once you have read a book or two, acting out the stories and characters can be a great way to keep a good story going. Bring the adventure to life by play-acting the characters read from the story.  Reenact the events of the story or create your very own sequel! Let imagination run wild.

4.     Play Games. Whether you break out the board games or create a round of charades centered on the characters and events from the books you read, playing games is a great way to pass the time on a snow day. These activities allow for meaningful family time while also allowing for maximum fun as well.

5.     Make a Family Dinner. With everyone home, get the whole family involved in making a collective dinner, even the little ones. Kids are more likely to try new foods if they have a hand in preparing and cooking it so this is a great way to try out new recipes while making some memories. It is also a great way to top off a cozy day spent indoors.