Prime Highlights:
- Parents are using creative methods, like personalized stories and fun voices, to make reading exciting for children.
- Experts emphasize that setting aside dedicated reading time helps kids develop a lasting love for books.
Key Facts:
- Fewer than half of Gen Z parents find reading to their children enjoyable, and only a third of kids aged 5 to 10 read regularly for fun.
- Even 10–20 minutes of nightly reading can significantly benefit a child’s brain development and literacy skills.
Background:
Children’s reading habits are shifting, and parents are discovering fresh ways to make reading fun and engaging. A recent HarperCollins UK survey revealed that fewer than half of Gen Z parents consider reading to their children fun, and only one-third of kids aged five to ten read regularly for enjoyment.
Parents like Bri Ramos from Oklahoma City are finding creative solutions. Ramos, a marketing professional and mother of young children, has started using interactive storytelling with her kids at bedtime. She makes up fun stories and sometimes uses different voices to keep her children interested and excited. She said that when stories are made especially for her daughter, she pays close attention and enjoys the story instead of just concentrating on reading the words.
For families seeking other hands-on options, cookbooks have become an unexpected tool. Alliah Agostini, a children’s and cookbook author, reads recipes with her children, turning kitchen activities into reading opportunities. She explained that reading a cookbook counts like reading any other book, as the children follow steps, pick up new skills, and have fun doing it together.
Actor Arjay Smith uses theatrical readings to bring stories to life, enlisting friends or family to act out characters and plots. Smith said that reading aloud is more than just seeing words; it turns into a memory kids carry with them.
Experts such as Alexandria Abenshon from the New York Public Library say it’s important for children to read regularly and have fun while doing it. Setting aside a specific time and place for reading helps them develop a lasting love for books.
By trying fun ways to keep kids interested, parents are turning storytime into an enjoyable experience, proving that reading can still be fun today.
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