How to Encourage Your Child to Read Books

Reading is a great way to stimulate a child’s mind, and with the right encouragement, you can create in your child an insatiable thirst for knowledge.  Books don’t have to be educational in nature in order to teach children, and you will find that reading provides an incredible foundation for spelling, grammar, and comprehension.

If you want to encourage reading in your children, the very best thing to do is to start reading books to them when they are still young.  Establish a regular bed-time routine which involves choosing books and reading a story each night. Use different voices or glove puppets, and do what you can to bring the story to life for your child.  When your small children see how much fun books can be, it will certainly help them long for the day when they are able to read them on their own.  Reading to your kids is also an excellent bonding experience, and a great way to make your child feel they are important to you, no matter how busy you may be during the day.

If your children are older, but you are still looking for ways to encourage them to read, consider creating summer book lists and offer rewards for each book that is finished.  Let them choose their own books, or choose books that are age appropriate and that suit your child’s interests.  You can read the book yourself to ensure that you can chat to them about the book afterward.  For each book your child reads, offer an afternoon at the park, a family movie night, or some other reward.  This can be a wonderful way to foster a love of reading, while helping your child expand his or her imagination and learn more about the world around us.

Another great thing to do at any age is simply to get your child a library ticket, and to make a weekly stop at the library.  Stay there for at least 30 minutes regardless of how busy you are, and let your child explore.  Encourage your child to pick out some fun books – never pick out books for them or they’ll never feel ownership of reading – don’t make it feel like homework!  Library tickets are usually free with a simple registration, and they can get out between 3-10 books each per week. If you have your own library ticket, make a point of talking to your kids during the week about the fun books you are reading. One thing to mention is that if you never read or if you appear to dislike reading, your children will most likely pick up on this and grow up similarly avoiding books – so make a big show of reading as often as you can, and who knows – both you and your child may develop a lifelong love of literature.