If you want to help cultivate a love for reading in your children, then you should probably take them to McDonalds. This is the third time the fast food giant had replaced Happy Meals with books.
The reoccurring promotion started in 2013. By the end of 2016, McDonalds will have given out 50 million books. A figure that is enough for every child in America under 12.
READ: 15 tips on how to teach a child to read
“Ensuring children have access to books has proven instrumental in combating illiteracy in children in the United States,” Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of Reading is Fundamental said in a statement.
McDonald’s is including four different books in this experiment. Three of them are Valentine’s Day themed: Clark the Shark Takes Heart by Bruce Hale and illustrated by Guy Francis, Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, and Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool by Kimberly and James Dean. The fourth book is the classic Paddington by Michael Bond and illustrated by R. W. Alley.
Motivating a child to read
At a loss as to how to motivate a child to read? Don’t worry! We’ve got simple, but often overlook, tips that are sure to get your child to love reading:
- Environment. Make sure to create an environment conducive to reading by making sure that it is distraction-free, is well-lit and has comfortable seating.
- Patience. It can be very tempting to step in and help out when your child is taking some time to figure out a word on the page. But if your child is deciphering most of the words independently with few mistakes albeit taking up a longer time, just be patient and let your child carry on
- Picture books. They are great for beginners and intermediate readers when it comes to reading success for kids. Go through the pictures with your child before reading. This way your child gets a better understanding of what the story is about.
- Repetition. After your child finishes a book, encourage the budding bookworm to read it again. The familiar text and story will help your child to read more smoothly the second time around, which will also increase their reading confidence.
- Drama. From the lifts and lilts in your voice to the tone and big hand gestures, dramatization gives kids a better comprehension of the story more than just by them looking at the words.
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