How Libraries Turn Reluctant Readers into Lifelong Literates
If you're having a tough time getting your child to read, reach out to your librarian for book recommendations.
Librarians can work magic when it comes to connecting nonreading kids with books they’ll love.
While reading is an important part of everyday life and a key skill for children to learn, not all children are eager to learn it. For one reason or another, many are reluctant readers and often outright refuse to even try. Fortunately, libraries can solve this problem. To do so, though, it’s important to first understand the causes of the problem and how those causes should be addressed.
What Makes Readers Reluctant?
Reluctant readers are typically reluctant for one of two reasons: a steep learning curve or disinterest in reading materials. For the former, we have to consider that even though reading comes naturally to us, it’s fairly difficult to learn for the first time. Many children find the effort required to learn to read daunting, especially those with disabilities like dyslexia, which makes the process even tougher.
On the other hand, there’s sometimes a simple lack of interest that even many adults can relate to. After all, what’s the point of reading if nothing you read interests you? Many children who haven’t found appealing reading materials in the past have given up searching and rarely ever read as a result.
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How Libraries Can Help
So, what can libraries do to help solve these issues? Ultimately, they just have to continue doing what they do best: providing literature and literary resources to their communities.
Children with difficulty reading may feel more encouraged after attending a public library storytime. Others may feel emboldened to try reading on their own after spending some time with a library-provided tutor. Either way, the library helps make learning to read feel more achievable and gently nudges kids to try it for themselves.
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The issue of disinterested readers is likewise fairly open and shut. By nature, libraries are a public resource where you can find almost any book you can imagine. No matter how picky of a reader your child is, they’ll have no trouble finding a book that grips their interest, and once they’ve discovered one, they’ll be eager to go looking for more.
If your child isn’t exactly sure what they want to read, they can even consult a librarian. These dedicated professionals have a huge wealth of knowledge regarding book selection, so if they know what your child wants to read, they can easily point them in the right direction.
Of course, encouraging a love of reading is only one of the countless ways libraries can help you and your children. If you’d like to learn more about what libraries do, feel free to visit our website at EveryLibrary today!
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