Christmas is the perfect time for children to enjoy reading in English in a relaxed and fun way. With more time at home and a slower pace, reading becomes an ideal resource for continuing to learn naturally.
In addition, having children read stories in English or listen to them with native audio helps them reinforce the vocabulary, structures, and content they have been working on throughout the course. By encountering them in a story and revisiting them, their memory is consolidated and children can remember and use English more easily.
Here are some simple ideas to encourage your children to read during the holidays:
Prepare a space with soft lighting, comfortable cushions and no noise, so that children can relax and read or listen to the readings quietly. This will help them immerse themselves in the stories and enjoy reading. You can do this as a family or Independently, depending on what the situation requires at any given time.
With just 10 minutes a day, you can help children create a habit of reading and enjoy it. You can each read a paragraph, discuss what happened in the story, or look for words they already know. Reading together motivates them and gets them much more involved and engaged in learning English.
You can also play the audio from the book and listen to it directly from a native speaker, then repeat it aloud together. This will make working on pronunciation more fun, as everyone does it at the same time.
3. Relate the stories to Christmas or to any topic that interests them.
You can search for stories that appeal to them based on themes such as Christmas, animals, friends, etc. In addition, if the story features themes such as friendship, magic or family, you can connect the story to what is happening at home during this time of year. This will make the reading experience more relatable and allow them to share their own experiences.
4. Reading can also be a game
Try acting out voices, setting little challenges (“find three new words”) or playing at changing the endings of stories to make them Christmas-themed. With the many stories in the Bookroom, you can have fun in lots of different ways and choose the readings you like best to enjoy as a family.
5. Celebrate small wins
Baking Christmas cookies, choosing Christmas songs to play in the car, giving them a sticker or simply saying ‘well done!’ reinforces their motivation and desire to continue reading. The important thing is that they enjoy it and want to keep reading, and any support always helps to maintain their enthusiasm.
Winter holidays, an ideal time to read in English
With more flexible routines and stories tailored to their level, the stories in the Bookroom, within Read & Play and Read & Prep, help children stay in touch with English in a natural and enjoyable way.
A small daily habit can become a great gift for your child’s English learning adventure. And, so that you can start enjoying reading this Christmas, we are offering you a free story from Bookroom Bites: The Short Life of a Snowman, ideal for reading with the family.