5 Ideas to Encourage Children to Read in Arabic

Many parents face a great challenge towards technology, as they constantly try to encourage their children to dispense with tablets and mobile devices in their daily routine. Attempts begin in various forms, from using entertaining educational activities or teaching them a new hobby. Children are distinguished by their vast imagination and their love for adventures and always exploring new things. Reading will help them stimulate their fertile imagination in the right direction and at the same time they will master many skills, such as developing the ability to speak, enriching their linguistic vocabulary, building vocabulary, and composing sentences, as well as improving concentration and analytical thinking skills, and enhancing their general awareness. In this article, we will help you with five ideas to encourage your child to read in Arabic.

Stages of Reading for Children

We summarize for you some of the stages that you may notice as your child’s reading skills develop:

From Birth to 18 Months

• Imitating sounds and some words.
• Understand some simple phrases.
• Flipping through the pages of books and looking at the pictures.

From 18 Months to 3 Years

• When children reach two years, they will be able to pronounce about 250 to 350 words, and by the time they are three years old, they will speak about 800 to 1,000 words.
• Enhancing listening skill, they will repeat phrases from their favorite book.
• Imitating sounds and repeating heard vocabulary.
• Asking to tell stories (through books).

From 3 to 5 Years

• Understanding the sounds and shapes of letters, and trying to write them.
• Holding books properly, as well as turning pages.
• Use complete sentences.
• Enhancing expression skill.

5 Ideas to Encourage Children to Read in Arabic

Children interact with reading and books differently. Some of them have a natural love for reading, and some of them need stimulation to love this hobby. What will help you most in achieving this is to follow new ideas and various methods, which may attract your child to reading and enhance their motivation for enjoyment. We'll share with you five creative ideas to encourage your child to read in Arabic.

Coordinate a library for your child

It is recommended to choose a clear place in the house so that the child can see it constantly when they walks around the house, and to place a library with a striking design, attractive colors and appropriate to your child’s age in order to attract their attention. Taking into account to place a chair and appropriate lighting and emptying some spaces in their library so that your child can add books of their choice. Participate with your child and always support their opinion so that they get used to their library and start to love reading.

Visit public libraries with your child

What motivates children most is seeing others doing the same thing, especially if it is a child of their age. Visiting public libraries is one of the best ideas to make your child loves to read in Arabic, as local libraries are distinguished by the variety of books, quietness, and the advantage of buying and exchanging books. Your child will learn many life lessons from this visit and develop their personality. Such as respecting appointments, regaining trustworthiness, adhering to calm and silence, and preserving the ownership of others.

Read with your child

The child imitates those around them from a young age, and their first role models are their parents. They must be a good role model for the child. Hence, you can encourage your child to read, by participating in reading time, organizing a special time for this hobby, and demonstrating its importance by continuing it daily. You can also encourage your child to read and make it an essential part of their daily routine. Such as reading the menu, movie titles, news bulletins, and newspaper or magazine titles.

Discuss with your child

The way you interact with your child while reading has a great impact, as sharing and talking about what your child is reading is one of the best methods suggested to motivate them. It is recommended to ask your child about which book they will read in Arabic today, and after they finish reading, discuss what was in the book, what was their favorite part, and what character they liked most.

Fulfill your child's imagination

Children have a fertile imagination naturally, so how about making your child’s imagination come true as much as possible; by bringing books to life? For example, if your child has read in Arabic about space and its galaxies, planets or stars and wants to see them all, a planetarium would be a great way to make their dream come true. Or if your child is passionate about seas, oceans, fish types and colors, an aquarium is an ideal solution for their request.

Is it Important to Read in Arabic to My Child?

You can teach your child to read in Arabic from a young age, even before your child begins to speak. The earlier you start, the better for them. Reading in Arabic for children as a basic source of learning and knowledge, in addition to its role in enhancing their educational and cultural development, and developing their mental and cognitive skills. Reading in Arabic also helps them understand feelings, which helps them express themselves, deal with others, enhance confidence, and strengthen personality. 

Teach your child to read in Arabic even on vacation or during the school season, your child must continue reading in Arabic and constantly stimulate their skills, even if they are short stories. Join Arabic.io for the best and most enjoyable means of learning the Arabic language. Teach your child Arabic through stories. Click here for a free Arabic lesson.