How to Use Children's Books to Encourage Kids to Read

Among the things many reading adults treasure for life are the books that inspired them in their earliest years to start reading. One way to instill a lifelong love of reading in a child is to share with them children's books that they can both love and learn while reading. Here is a wonderful process to encourage kids to read with great books.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. The best way to instill an early love of books in children is to read to them every day. Getting them excited about all the adventures a book can hold can create a long love of books and reading. Some classic children's books are fairy tales, Dr. Seuss, and tried-and-true classics such as "Alice in Wonderland." A well-known series that has gotten many children excited about reading is the Harry Potter series. There are some books penned by pop stars that actually have some merit. Olivia Newton-John wrote a great one called "A Pig Tale," and Madonna's series of books about the "English Roses" actually teach great lessons by way of being entertaining as well.

2. Giving kids different types of books is the best way to measure what will excite your child personally to read. You will find a pattern of which books fall by the wayside and see which books get read more than once.

3. Books themed to the interests of a child will get them to crack a book; this even works for children who resist reading the most. If you give a book on baseball to a child who likes to spend their time on the field, you will find one who loves to read. You just have to make sure to find the right key to open up their own interest in reading.

4. Setting an example of your own love of reading, accompanied with gifts of books, is a very effective method of reading Encourage others around you to give gifts of books to you and accept it with much enthusiasm. Talk about how important certain writers have been to the world and talk about how books can make others do great things. Talking and showing will pay off, even in the most subtle way.

5. Read, repeat, read. Read, read, repeat. Read often and the cycle will start and continue for a lifetime of reading pleasure for you and your child.

Tips & Warnings

• Be generous in praise when you catch your child reading.
• Give fun books as gifts, along with themed stuffed animals or toys.
• Talk about books you've read as well as books you loved as a child.
• Ask your child's opinion of each book after they've read it. Do this in a fun way, so it doesn't feel like a book report. Doing so can be as effective as one.
• Never give a child reading assignments as punishment.
• Never force a child to read for a certain amount of time. if it feels like a tough job, it can form an impulse of repulse towards reading.