Maximizing Engagement Kenan Kadragic Reading engagement for children is heavily influenced by the book that they are reading and the way in which the book is structured. Although children’s books may appear simple, there is plenty of thought that goes into each detail. To maximize engagement, the following criteria must be met: a plot that children of the targeted age can effortlessly grasp, a moral to the story, plenty of colorful illustrations, and syntax and lexicon that are easily comprehensible. Hundreds of thousands of books have met these standards, however, what happens when the target audience seeks a book that is not in their native tongue? Children are easily discouraged from reading; it is hard enough to begin reading in one language, let alone two. New words, phrases and sentence structures may seem completely foreign, so providing the reader with scaffolding allows them to build confidence in their reading capabilities. Thoughtfully constructing a book can have a positive impact on a child’s direct engagement with the book and on the child’s enthusiasm for reading and learning in a more broad sense.
19 | Reading and the Brain | Volume 4 | Spring 2022
