Reading more has a number of benefits associated with it including improved cognitive function, better vocabulary, enhanced memory and recall, heightened focus and attention, helping the students learn about new things and likewise. Clearly, a strong reading habit is one of the most useful habits which any educator can help their students develop. Many students often say that they want to develop a reading habit but are often pressed for time. However, by using a few tips and tricks, the students can bypass the paucity of time and develop a strong reading habit in the limited time they can spare.
The classrooms of today have evolved and are almost unrecognizable from the classrooms of just a few years ago. New and highly adaptive pedagogical tools such as eLearning portals, LMS, smart classes, ERP and likewise, have made teaching a lot simpler and more effective for the educators than ever before. Developing a strong reading habit in the students is less of a challenge today, than earlier. Here are a few tips which the educators can share with their students in order to help them in developing a strong reading habit. So, without further ado, let us take a look at each one of them…
Curating a reading list-
Research has shown that while developing a new habit, the first three weeks are of critical importance. An individual is much more likely to stick to a new habit if they follow a routine for the first 21 days. Curating a list of books you want to read is the first and foremost step of developing a strong reading habit. It will ensure that the students enjoy their reading, and in doing so it will make them much more likely to stick to their reading for the first few and arguably the hardest days of developing any habit. It will also make reading easier for the students as they will read with more concentration and gain a better understanding of what they read.
Setting goals-
In order to motivate the students to read more and read regularly, educators should encourage them to set a goal while reading. For instance, the students could set a goal to read a number of books each year or to read a minimum number of pages each day or week. This will help the students in sticking to a schedule and achieving their goals will motivate them further to keep on reading.
Scheduling-
To ensure that the students read every day, it is vital for them to dedicate a fixed amount of time each day solely to reading. It could be as low as ten minutes to about an hour of reading. Moreover, one can read virtually at any time of the day. Students could read either in the morning, while commuting, during recess or even before going to sleep.
Find a good place free from distractions-
Encourage the students to make sure that they put some thought into choosing their place of reading. A good place to read would be inside a quiet room where the students can be free from any distractions. They could read in their beds, at the school library or while sitting in a park. Also, make sure to turn off your cellphone’s notification bell as well as the TV in order to make your reading joyful and productive.
Active Reading-
While any reading is better than no reading, educators should encourage their students to try to read actively rather than in a passive manner. Students should ponder over what they are reading, take notes if necessary, highlight passages which they find relevant or have trouble comprehending, write comments and also try to read out loud from time to time if possible. This will not only help the students in understanding what they read in a better manner, but it will also let them enjoy their reading and avoid monotony.
Discuss what you read-
A great way of developing a reading habit is to discuss what you read the previous day with your friends at school, your parents and educators. Tell them what you think was interesting and different about the book and whether you would recommend someone to read it.
A strong reading habit will help your students to be more confident and become successful in life. Following the tips mentioned here shall certainly help the students in developing a strong and fruitful reading habit.