How to Help Your Kids Learn to Love Books

Ask any teacher, and they'll tell you that kids who read more will go further in life. After all, a good reading foundation is the key to a solid education later on. Unfortunately, for many children, reading has become a chore or something they dread, especially in this time of instant entertainment such as television and video games. However, it's possible to instill a lifelong love of books and reading in your children. By doing this, you'll be giving them a gift that they can pass along to their own children some day. Here are a few ways you can teach your children to love books and reading.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Books, time to spend at the library or bookstore, access to a computer for online resources

How to Help Your Kids Learn to Love Books

1. Make reading a family activity. Choose a book to read aloud each night; longer books are something you can string out for weeks. After you've read each chapter, have a discussion about what happened. Ask your kids questions that promote creative thinking, such as, "Why do you think Harry and Ron broke the rules?" or "When Jack and Annie got to the castle, why was it so important for Annie to hide?" School-age children can help out by reading as well, taking turns from one page to the next.

2. Empower them by giving them the choice of their own reading material. Take them to the library or your local bookstore, and help them select multiple titles. Nearly every bookstore will let you sit and read for a while before purchasing a book, so take advantage of this; let your child read the first chapter before you buy the book, so he or she can determine if it's something they want to continue with. Make book-buying (or borrowing) a regular event, so that your children will come to look forward to it.

3. Sign your kids up for story sessions at libraries and book stores! This way, they see that not only are adults excited about reading, but other kids are too. Most libraries have themed story sessions, which can include everything from costumes to crafts to songs and games. When reading is associated with fun activities, this makes it an exciting thing to do. Use the Internet to find additional things to do on author websites when your children read books.

4. Encourage your kids to read books about the subjects they like. If you have a child who is really into frogs, find a book about frogs. When your daughter decides that she likes mysteries, find a good detective series for her to read about. Some kids take longer than others to decide what they like, so if your child is having a hard time making up her mind, don't worry. You can even offer the opportunity to read books based on their favorite movies. Series like "Harry Potter", C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" or even "Star Wars" offer hours of potential reading material.

5. Lead by example. When you have spare time, read. When your kids see you reading for pleasure, and not because someone told you that you had to do it, they'll come to understand that reading is something that can truly be enjoyed by people of any age.

Tips & Warnings

• Older kids can benefit by reading aloud to younger siblings. This not only helps develop the older child's skills, but it also allows them a chance to share some quality time with a little brother or sister.
• Talk to your child's teacher about what reading level they're on. If your child is struggling with the material he or she is selecting at home, you may need to scale down a little to find books that are more ability-appropriate.
• Don't force your child to read something that is uninteresting to them, except required school work. This can turn them off reading, and it's hard to spark a passion for reading once it has been dampened.

Resources

• Children's Book Council