| Some kids love books and will spend hours poring | | | | resistant to reading "normal" books there are a |
| over pages packed with words and very few | | | | couple of ways you can try to engage their interest |
| pictures from an early age. Kids as young as 7 read | | | | in reading. |
| Harry Potter books all the way through with very | | | | Comics and graphic novels are a very visually |
| little help from their parents. Some kids just like the | | | | oriented medium that use words and images |
| challenge of reading and learning new words on their | | | | together to tell a story. You can find comics with |
| own. | | | | themes like fantasy and adventure that are geared |
| Other kids however struggle with the simplest of | | | | towards beginning and emerging readers and are sure |
| words and just don't seem to get it. It's not that | | | | to engage. Try "Bone" by Jeff Smith or "The |
| they are dumb or lack motivation, it's just that | | | | Dreamland Chronicles" by Scott Christian Sava. |
| reading is not their thing. | | | | Visual reference books like "The New Way Things |
| So how so you foster a love of books in kids when | | | | Work" and "The Visual Dictionary" are great for visual |
| they don't seem to respond to stories that other | | | | learners with an interest in building things. |
| kids their age seem to rave about? | | | | And lastly, visual chapter books like Geronimo Stilton |
| It could be that the reluctant reader in question just | | | | combine dynamic cartoon-like illustrations with |
| needs a different style of book to nurture their | | | | segments of full colored text in different fonts. |
| interest. Some kids have a natural leaning towards | | | | Chapters are short and vocabulary is not flowery or |
| visual imagery. Films, cartoons, video games. By | | | | overly difficult. Geronimo Stilton is a wonderful role |
| transferring this love of images to books you can | | | | model for kids too. A mouse who loves learning but |
| help these children see that words and pictures can | | | | is brave as well. |
| convey a similar sense of excitement that these | | | | There are a number of options you can choose to |
| other mediums can. | | | | foster a love of learning in kids even if they come |
| If you know a child who is reluctant or downright | | | | late to reading. Give them a try! |