In the twenty-first century, there are a host of distractions that can prevent children from reading. Here, we look at five top tips to help children to read.

1. Competition

Adding a element of competition, a reason or incentive to do something, could encourage children to read a book and fully comprehend the story. This could encourage children to become more motivated about reading, if they are up against their classmates or peers.

2. Make Reading Cool

One way of doing this would be to sign up a class or group of children to a reading session on social media or to a competition. It might be a good idea to look for someone who can give a talk to children and explain the benefits of reading in a way that will appeal to them.

3. Go All Out

Make sure there are books available for children to read and to take home. Have an assembly start with a book or extract, conduct English lessons with a book and organise a book to feature during playtime.

4. Community Involvement

If the community is actively involved in reading, it means that children are more likely to develop good habits and read widely. It is very easy to take 15 minutes to discuss a book with a child, or to arrange a trip to the local library to find out more about an author. There could be a local author who lives nearby who could explain how reading got them to where they are!

5. Invest

Good books can often come at a cost and schools often do not have the money to buy as many as they would like. If you have the ability to influence budget decisions, go for it! Ask the PTA or governors for a donation or maybe even contribute your old books to a school. You never know what the end result could be!