The best subscriptions for children

When we encourage children to read, it’s often by getting them to pick up a book. A visit to the library or bookstore will entice them to pick up fiction books filled with imaginative and engaging stories. At school, fiction tends to dominate the English curriculum, however in almost all the other subjects, non-fiction reigns supreme. It can be a challenge to get children to read non-fiction as they tend to enjoy reading things that will spark their imagination and creativity. Obviously, this is not true for all young people – some children love nothing more than a book filled with facts, diagrams and gruesome statistics (if they are lovers of the Horrible Histories series) but getting their hands on a range of non-fiction texts can sometimes be a problem. One way to introduce more non-fiction into your child’s reading habits is by subscribing to a children’s newspaper or magazine.

Reading non-fiction is beneficial in so many ways: it helps children get to grips with more technical, subject-specific language, which will help them across the curriculum; it engages them in a wide range of topics; it keeps them up to date with the latest news be it current affairs or scientific advancements; it gives them confidence in understanding new and different topics; it broadens their horizons immeasurably. Many children will get their news and other information from the internet, sometimes from credible sources although often from social media (which is not always factually accurate). Subscribing to a weekly/fortnightly/monthly/quarterly subscription ensures that your child is getting up-to-date, factually accurate information, written in Standard English and presented in an accessible and engaging way. There are many excellent subscriptions available; below is a list of some of our favourites:

• National Geographic Kids – a monthly magazine similar to the adult version, featuring stunning photography and lots of news and information on the natural world.
• The Week Junior – a weekly magazine (as the name suggests!) containing stories on a whole host of topics, as well as ideas for things to make ad/or do.
• First News – a weekly newspaper specifically designed and written for kids.
• Brilliant Brainz – a monthly magazine to spark children’s creativity and develop interest in the world around them.
• Aquila – a monthly magazine with each month presenting a new topic alongside articles on a range of themes.
• Science+Nature – a monthly magazine focusing on, unsurprisingly, science and nature.