Reading helps us in every area of our lives. It helps us become successful in school and later in our careers and it helps us grow as individuals by either teaching us new information or by allowing us to step into someone else’s shoes. Reading can also help us become more compassionate and empathetic, as well as give us pure enjoyment and relaxation.
Instilling a love of reading in your child is one of the best gifts you can give them in their life. Here are 11 ways to do just that.
- Read to them regularly, with expression and in different voices.
- Model reading. Let your child see you read often. It can be cookbooks, magazines, the newspaper, novels or non-fiction.
- Talk about the books or articles you have been reading. This is a great thing to do at dinner time. Share the excitement or intrigue you have experienced.
- Schedule 30 minutes after dinner or every Thursday evening as “Family Reading Time”.
- Start your own “Family Book Club” if your children are between 10-18 years old. If your child is studying a novel in school, why not make that the book for the month?
- Buy books where their name appears. This is a fabulous technique for encouraging reluctant readers! It worked brilliantly with me as a child. I used to be the student who would read the first and last chapter of a book, along with the summary, and write a book report. This all changed when my mother bought me a novel with the main character’s name being Erin. Powerful, yet so simple!
- Find books that come with a CD either in bookstores or the library so your child can listen and follow along. This is also a fantastic way to encourage reluctant readers or to keep the motivation high for those children who are struggling with learning how to read.
- Always give books as at least one part of a birthday, Christmas, Easter, or holiday gift.
- Give books “just because” for teamwork tasks (aka chores) being well done or because you noticed them demonstrating a positive virtue like compassion.
- Take your child to the library regularly. It could be to participate in a library program or just to hang out and read. What about making every second Sunday your family’s library day and follow it up with a hot chocolate so you can all talk about the books you read?
- Read aloud books that have been made into movies and then watch the movie and do a comparison about which was better – the book or the movie. I had read the book “Coraline” to students of mine five years ago and now that the movie is coming out these students who are now teenagers are organizing themselves to meet at the movie theatre to watch it and compare – just like we did as a class with “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”. Beautiful!
Did you learn to love reading as a child? If so, what did the adults in your life do to encourage your passion for reading to grow?
I think my dad started off by reading aloud to me from Alice in Wonderland, after which I started to read on my own. Our house was always filled with books; we used to get several newspapers and magazines at home. And of course there was the school library. That’s probably how I grew up to be a voracious reader.
That warms my heart – thanks for sharing.
Reading is something that I cherish, and I wanted to pass this down to my children. We read every night for half an hour, and I take them to the bookstore and library at least once a week. My son was the most reluctant to read, but I never gave up. Now, he can’t pass by without grabbing a book, and he recently exclaimed how much he loves bookstores. It is true…reading is fundamental, so don’t give up and your kids won’t either.
[...] 11 Way to Instill a Love of Reading in Your Child [...]
Reading is paramount to future academic success. Teaching children the skills to be lifelong readers who understand and internalize what they read needs to begin early. Parents are the key to helping their child get ready to read and appreciate reading as an opportunity to gain deeper understanding of everything. Imagination grows with more active reading too. I cannot say enough on the benefits and joy reading will bring to all who read regularly. The more we read the more we want to read!
Wow, your library is open on Sundays? I feel fortunate mine is open on the same days every week.
Thanks a lot. Clear andd useful. I agree exampling is the better way. It´s one of the best habits I can offer my children. I´ll follow you.
Excellent and useful post, Erin. I particularly liked the idea of finding a book with the child’s name in it.
When our first was little, we got a pair of Little Golden books about a panda. Since this was her nickname, she clung to those books; still has them, I think.
Another thing that made it fun, back then, was using different “voices” and sound effects. The Happy Man and His Dump Truck comes to mind (“the pig gave a great big grunt”).
Thanks for a good read!
I would say #2 slightly different: Love and model reading! At a young age, children want to please their parents, so use that power for good.
Erin, your posting brings back a beloved memory for me. I was a kid in England evacuated to the West country during the bombing. My mum worked in a bookshop in London and Dad was overseas.
Once in awhile Mum would come to Devon to visit me for a few days. So at night as I snuggled deeper into a genuine feather bed, I would lose myself in the sound of my mother reading a book to me — sometimes I understood, sometimes I didn’t but it didn’t really matter.
I just loved hearing her read, hearing her voice. A life-long love of books I am sure was born in those happy long ago hours.
These are all great tips Erin. I would add that you can make reading interactive by having the child draw a picture of what the book was about, put on a play based on the book, or maybe even “write” the book’s sequel.
Nice, powerful techniques. I especially love the one about finding books with their name in – makes perfect sense. Will be nice to try it out. :)
Christopher, what a beautiful memory for you. It really moved me to read that.
Josh, I really like your addition of the word “Love” to #2
Trece, I can almost feel the warm that those Golden Books brought to your child!
Marelisa, although I agree that expanding the children’s reading into plays and writing is a good idea, reading for enjoyment should purely be just that -for enjoyment- and if they choose to expand their experience of the book should be left up to them. For school, being a retired teacher, it’s a perfect idea though:)
Craig, if you have a child aged 2-10 or 11 a great site to get books with your children’s name in is:
http://tinyurl.com/ykm9e4m
I LOVE reading all your comments! Thank you.
Erin
Sometimes as I’m reading aloud to my kids, I change the names in the book to their names and they think it’s funny and keeps their attention. (in case you can’t find one with your child’s name!)
One thing that has been very powerful for my experience of reading was at primary school. The teacher had pinned a table with all our names on a wall. In front of each names, we would tick a cross for each book we had read. This has made reading a competition, as every pupil would read to reach the maximum of tick in front of his name.
I had to read at school before I discovered books myself, so I learned early that reading could not be fun. I had to unlearn that bias to start to enjoy books.
Great advice, I never thought of the “name” thing, I’ll have to give it a try
It’s funny because I don’t remember children’s book being read to me past the age of 5. After that, my father read long, (mostly sci fi/fantasy) books to me and my brother. (Okay, and the Little House on the Prairie books.) I re-read some of the books a few years ago and realized they were a bit inappropriate for children, but I had no idea at the time. It was awesome, but it also got me reading long novels by middle primary school.
Now, how do you instill the love of reading into an adult?
Title should read “11 ways” not 11 way.
I remember one promise my father told me as a very young child: “I will buy you any book you ever want….” and he did it, making me a lifelong reader. I have repeated this promise to both my children, who now read voraciously. An expense I am delighted to undertake….
It’s been wonderful to read all of your responses – I can feel how special your memories are as well as your connections to books. Your beautiful experiences are the reason I wrote this article – so that more and more kids can feel the way you have.
Thanks for commenting, everyone!
great article! thanks for the tutorial!
My mom was my reading inspiration and I was a reader long before I entered school. She would have me read books to her several times during the day. I remember even reading the encyclopedia because I just had to have something to read once I’d read the other books at the house over and over. Mom would sit there and let me read and read and read to her and she never complained. I used to love going to the grocery stores just to read the words on the backs of cans and names of products and to this day, I still read ingredients and I still find myself carefully sounding out the words. Weird, I know, but reading was a big part of my life early on. Now my mom and I trade books with each other, and discuss them. My own daughter is well on her way to becoming a great reader herself. I’m looking forward to trading books with her. Love your ideas Ms. Erin.
[...] reading. Let your child see you read often. It can be cookbooks, magazines, the newspaper, novels or [...]
[...] Be a good reading role model: Make sure your child sees you reading often, whether it’s magazines, novels, or the newspaper. [...]
My Mum started me reading. Agatha Christie.
That was never the point. Reading was the point. She knew I would find what I wanted, needed, if I first knew what I didn’t want.
She said that I only have a few years here.
She told me that I will never be able to be everything I wished to be – never be able to go everwhere I want to go – never be able to go everyWHEN I want to go.
However, Son, you can do all that – and more – in books.
Turns out she was write! heh, heh.
My favorites are #5and #6, scheduled reading time and books with your kids name in them! Great ideas! Here are a few of our favorite things to read: http://thebookmom.hubpages.com/hub/Magazines-for-Kids-A-Round-up-and-Review-of-some-of-the-Best-Magazines-Available-for-Kids
I think children are naturally drawn to books. You don’t need to force them to read, you just need to take away the other distractions. My children don’t have a TV, they don’t have too many toys, and with nothing else to do they naturally gravitate towards reading as entertainment. My oldest is 5 and as yet can’t read, but he picks up books and ‘reads’. I do a lot of reading myself. I think my parents did exactly the same thing for me as a child – there was nothing else to do in our home except to read. So we did.