5 Tips to Encourage Your Child To Do More Reading

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Developing a lifelong love of reading is indeed a worthwhile goal and I fully believe that it’s best to develop this love for books early in life. As a mom of two daughters, I’ve been committed to encouraging my kids to read every day. If you’d like to encourage your child to do more reading, here are some simple tips on making reading more fun.

1. Set up a cozy reading nook.
Create a little space in your child’s room or a playroom that’s solely dedicated to reading. Include comfy pillows & blankets and also add one or two of their favorite stuffed animals.

2. Use books that are at an appropriate reading level.
If your child reads books that are too easy/simple, she will not be challenged at all. If your child reads books that are too advanced, she will get frustrated and probably lose interest.

3. Set aside a regular time for reading.
Encourage your child to go to his/her reading nook every day at a certain time – maybe before bedtime. Incorporating reading into a regular routine is important for habit development.

4. Bring reading to life.
If your child is reading about outer space, head to the planetarium together. If your child is reading a story that takes place by the water, maybe a trip to the beach will spark conversations about the book. Look for interesting ways to bring books to life.

5. Make interesting, engaging books available.
If a child is offered high-quality reading material that is thought-provoking and interesting, she is more likely to look forward to reading. We recently received the Explorer Academy books 1–5; this includes The Nebula Secret, The Falcon’s Feather, The Double Helix, The Star Dunes, and The Tiger’s Nest. I personally love the idea of a book series for kids, because once the child reads the first book and learns about the various characters, she is more likely to be interested in reading the rest of the series. This Explorer Academy series, from National Geographic Kids, offers powerful storytelling in a fictional world that’s filled with plenty of adventure and excitement.

In The Nebula Secret, 12-year old Cruz Coronado attends the famous Explorer Academy, where he and 23 other kids are learning how to become explorers. They attend fascinating classes, experience augmented reality missions and make new friends. However, Cruz’ mother was working at the Explorer Academy when she died in an unusual lab accident and as the story progresses, the reader learns that her death was not actually an accident. Cruz wants to learn more about the past but he must break challenging codes in order to gain more information. The reader is taken on a journey, along with Cruz, as challenges are presented and more information is slowly revealed. For example, Cruz is tasked with how to solve a 3D hologram puzzle that has the potential cure all illness.

One thing both my daughter & I really appreciate about this series is that it’s inspired by the real-life adventures of actual National Geographic explorers. In fact, each book concludes with a “Truth Behind the Fiction” section that features actual explorers. For example, Cruz wore an interesting device that allowed him to communicate with whales. Toward the end of the book, the reader learns of a scientist who studies whale language. This type of comparison brings the story to life and indeed makes the whole book so much more compelling. 

This book series incorporates science, math, geography and more into the storylines. Deductive reasoning and problem solving are big parts of the reading experience. In addition, the series explores the virtues of friendship, family and honesty.

Newly released in January 2021, the fifth book in the series is called The Tiger’s Nest. In this book, a group of explorers work their way through a large underwater world and participate in a robotics competition. However, things take a scary turn when Cruz is led to a remote destination. Cruz is forced to face his own mortality as he works to discover the final components of his mother’s cipher. It’s a captivating book that’ll encourage your child to keep turning the pages

If you’d like to check out the series for yourself, use promo code 50OFFEA1 on Amazon for 50% off the first book, The Nebula Secret. This offer is valid 1/18/21 through 3/19/21 or while supplies last. The books are available to purchase online at amazon.com & shopdisney.com and in person at most independent bookstores. For character profiles and to learn more about actual explorers, visit the Explorer Academy hub here.

Don’t forget to learn more about The Explorer Academy here. Would your child be interested in this series? How do you encourage your child to read? 

 

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