Over these past couple of years more people than ever have found solace in books and reading to pass the time whilst having to isolate or distance themselves from society. There is such pure enjoyment and escapism to be found in reading a good book, but even if you or your children didn’t discover a love of reading during lockdown, there are many good reasons to make it a resolution for 2022.
Reading can teach you something new and expand your world view, it is proven to lower stress levels, improve memory and concentration, and contribute to better writing skills.
For 2022, why not encourage your children to set a specific reading goal for themselves either by setting a numerical goal – reading say 30 books by the end of the year – or encourage them to diversify their bookshelf by trying out new genres or authors. Whatever their chosen route, here are a few tips for how to make your resolution a reality.
- Create a reading schedule.
- Be specific about what you want to read and when, setting deadlines for finishing each book or even each chapter.
- Make a log of what you read and when, so you can see your progress, whether in a reading journal or on a wall chart.
- Consider offering a reward for each milestone reached – a trip to the public library or local charity shop to choose a new book, collecting stickers to add up to a final reward at the end of the year to see a theatre version of a book they have read maybe.
- Be realistic about what you can achieve, aim high but remember not to set goals that are too ambitious that sets you up for failure and discouragement. Ask your English teacher for advice if you need to.
If reading a huge number of books in a year seems too daunting for your child, maybe try ticking off books from this list instead:
- A recent book-to-screen adaptation
- A book by an author from an African nation
- A book by an author who has visited Barrow Hills (Ali Sherrick, Adam Baron, Chris Bradford, AR Hetherington (coming up in March this year))
- A Cli-Fi book (climate change)
- A book you have been meaning to read for ages!
- A newly released novel in 2022
- A book set in a school
- A book featuring a detective
- A graphic novel
- A ghost story
- A book from a genre you’ve never read before
- A book recommended by your librarian
Mrs Emmett, Librarian
