Eyes Wide Open

6 Ways to Keep a Child’s Adult’s Attention When Reading

1. Space out the words.
2. Make the title big to catch their attention.
3. Create an area for eyes to wander.
4. Use images in between the text.
5. Break up information into smaller sentences.
6. Assume your reader knows nothing.

Blog websites are the adult version of children’s books. The rise of phones and technology in our lives has dramatically decreased our attention spans. Combine that with reading online, and it’s even worse. Any notification or loss of interest can instantly divert one’s attention.

The solution? It’s not just about writing concise, engaging content. It’s about formatting your blog like the perfect adult children’s book.

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The Solution

No child is naturally drawn to reading words. They may enjoy the pictures, colors, and pages. But what captures their attention is the story being told. The same can be said for adults. Skimming the headline, pictures, and titles of blogs easily gives the gist without having to read a blog. And skimming is what most adults do now.

Without an easy visual or layout, the audience won’t stick around for the rest.

Some of the most successful blogs use space to relax the reader. Blank space next to the words make us more inclined to read the actual words. Although contradictory, the fewer the words, the more likely to entice a reader.

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I remember the first chapter book I read was a Magic Treehouse book. It took forever to finish and my mom ended up reading it out loud to me. While she read, I could look at the cover, fidget with my hands, and tune in and out of the story.

As I got older I was able to enjoy pages of long paragraphs. But now, I (along with many others) am back to the struggle with dense, space-less paragraphs.

When you write online, whether your reader is six or sixty, imagine you’re writing for a child.