It’s not like the “corner.” A reading nook that will encourage your kids to read at home should not be a place that they associate with something that happens when they get into mischief. It has to be a fun place where they can have their own adventure whether from the stories that they read or from stories that they create themselves. An age-appropriate reading nook will make it easier for your children to develop the love for reading and learning.
For toddlers and pre-school aged kids, your reading nook should have padded floors and walls. You can have a book rack with all his favorite books. Make sure that your reading nook furniture pieces do not have sharp corners. Better yet, you can have throw pillows on the floor where you and your little one can cuddle up for reading time. Some reading nooks have puppet stages or doll houses where the characters of the storybook adventures can come alive.
Each According to Age
Older kids who can read by themselves should already have an organized reading nook. They would need to have their own reading chair. Parents should still have their own spot in their child’s reading nook to allow him to be with his child when he wants to have company while he reads. For families with more than one child, having a small table with a few chairs around can accommodate kids who want to spend reading time together.
Teeners are a little bit of a challenge to build or designate any space for. Some teeners would opt to isolate themselves in their rooms while they read and do other things. You can still find a way to give your teen his own reading spot while at the same time giving him some privacy. He can actually have his nook inside his room. Or, if you don’t want him staying in his room all the time, you can give him his own corner in the den or build him a comfortable reading perch out in the yard.
Make it Colorful
Unlike adult reading nooks, children’s reading nooks are often more colorful. Relaxation is often not the goal when kids go to their nooks. Mental stimulation and stirring their imagination is the goal of reading. A children’s reading nook is therefore often a fun and exciting place. When they have such a space where they can let their imagination run wild, kids will surely go from one book to another without much coaxing.
Make it Comfy
A reading nook could have sofa fit for your little one. It could be a space by the window with a fitting foam to make sitting or lounging comfortable. Put pillows, stuffed toys, and other things your child finds cozy. Ask her or his help to decorate and arrange the nook. There’s probably a poster that he or she relates well to, you can use this as a backdrop.
Big Windows and Appropriate Lights
When finding a spot for their own reading nook, make sure that enough light will make it easier for them to read. That’s why my ideal reading area is a low window sill with soft pillows to sit on. You can install reading lights, which they can use when the sun has set.
Giving Kids Their Own Reading Nook Begets Responsibility
When kids are given space, make them realize that they are responsible for keeping it clean and in order. They might even develop their own way of organizing things. Putting books according to author, color, genre, are some of the ways I arrange books – kids could pick this up, too.
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