The excitement over the weekend was the discovery of all the eight movies of Harry Potter on Hotstar! This was like hitting a jackpot.
Harry Potter has been a big part of our world, both for the kids and me.
Both of the kids were keen readers from the very beginning and I was more than happy. We would each get to buy a book every month; it was our thing.
And when I joined a publishing house, which also had some retail stores, it was like a dream come true.
I would take them there on weekends when I had to work. They would spend hours browsing through the books as I slogged away in my tiny office, surrounded by books!
When we were stuck in the house due to chicken pox (the li’l carrier monkey got it from school and infected the rest of us), I asked them to read the first book of Harry Potter so we could watch it later.
And that’s how it began. It was fun. Reading, watching, discussing. We crafted wands and house banners, debated which house suited us best, and even prepared the magical Christmas feast after reading the first book!
Movies are not just entertainment. The become the bridge to the books. Movies and books became the two sides of the storytelling coin.
Can Movies Turn Non-Reader into Book Lovers? Yes, And Here’s How!
It’s an effective way of converting non-readers into readers.
Movies bring stories to life. They transform the words into vivid images. And make the complex narratives easier to understand.
The visual storytelling ignites their imagination. They want to know more. And that’s where the books step in.
Whether it was Harry Potter or Percy Jackson or Matilda, each movie sparked curiosity about the book. Children want to know what they’ve missed and get tempted to read the originals.
Don’t look at books or movies in isolation but as complementary activities. Studies show that children retain 65% more information when learning through both visual and textual mediums.
- Use them together to build strong literary skills. Kids get exposed to new words (spells, in my case).
- They learn to express themselves better, making impressive sentences and exclamations.
- It deepens their imagination.
- It makes them more empathetic as they relate to the stuggles of the diverse characters.
- It strengthens their comprehension as the story continues to flow through changing landscapes.
Reading the books and watching the movies creates a distinct world of its own and your child proudly, and willingly, inhabits it.
3 Fun Movie Challenges to Get Kids Reading
Try these fun strategies to get your child interested.
- Have a book vs movie challenge.
Pick up one book (or a series, if your child is willing) to read. Then watch the movie together.
There’ll be endless points for discussion like what was left out or what changes were there in the movie (like changing the age of the characters in Percy Jackson, uughhh) or the ultimate question, which version was better.
- Set up a book-movie club.
Get a group of like-minded kids to form a club where they read a book, watch its adaptation, and then discuss it.
Best part is you can form clubs for different age groups.
Include creative activities like rewriting a scene or play acting some parts or creating props.
- Family nights.
Decide a book as a family and read it. Then plan a movie night.
You’ll be amazed at the discussions that follow.
Or even have a game night with bingo or creating different endings or introducing new character. Give free rein to your imagination and enjoy a noisy fun time with your family.
Making Reading an Experience, not a Chore
Your ultimate goal is for your child to explore stories, build their literary skills, and open their minds to a rich world of creativity and knowledge. In short, experience the stories, not read dry words.
Don’t fret if they don’t want to read. Change your strategy.
Let them watch the movie first. You can then pique their interest by telling them bits about what was not shown or some scenes which were different in the book.
The familiarity helps them to engage easily with the text. They’ll not feel as overwhelmed or reluctant to read then because they know the story, they know the characters.
Now reading feels like an enjoyable experience and not a task.
Finally, Stories Are Meant to Be Experienced
Stories inspire imagination and curiosity, whether through the pages or through their adaptation.
Every child loves stories. Remember their bedtime routine when your stories were their portal to a fantastic world?
Keep their curiosity alive by finding a way they can remain connected to stories.
There’s no one way of doing it. Explore and experiment. Blend, build and bring books to life for your child.
By packaging books and their adaptations together, you’ll turn your reluctant reader into an eager storyteller.
So, the next time your child enjoys a movie, see if you can hand them the book. It will start a new journey, reading journey.
Which book-movie combo will you try first? Let me know how your child reacts to the experience.
