As a parent, it’s not always easy to know whether your parenting style will help or hurt your child in the long run. I know we haven’t always been successful in our methods, but the one thing I take pride in is knowing we’ve instilled a love of reading in our kids. As soon as you enter our house, you will notice that we have hundreds of books covering our shelves, floor and just about every nook and cranny. I’m often asked what we’ve done to inspire our kids’ love for books and reading… so here are some of my tips:
- Start young. Read to your kids daily and make it part of your day and bedtime routine. Starting to read to your children early on will have a significant impact on their academic success. It will also create a nurturing relationship between yourself and your kids, which is important for your child’s cognitive, language and social-emotional development.
- Read books with subjects that your kids are interested in. If they’re in a fish phase, purchase books that deal with fish. If they’re into Paw Patrol, head over to your local library and take out a Paw Patrol book. Whatever it is, if they’re into the subject matter, you can bet they will be interested in reading the book over and over again (perhaps too many times for your liking). It’s no wonder that we own more than 20 hockey-themed books.
- Be a role model. Pick up a book and let them see you reading it. It doesn’t even have to be a book. Pick up a magazine or a good ‘ole newspaper. Just model the behaviour you want to see in your kids and it’ll only be a matter of time when you will see them sit down to read or rush towards you with a book in hand.
- Keep books handy all over the house. We have shelves and bins full of books in almost every room of the house, including the bathroom. I found having books handy also helped with potty training and getting our kids to brush their teeth. They sat or brushed and I read. It worked like a charm!
- Don’t pressure your kids to read. If your child appears to be getting anxious or not interested in reading, try a different method. Introduce them to a great online program geared towards teaching your child how to read. Ooka Island may seem like a fun game to your kids, but it’s actually a very educational app that will help your child learn how to read. Whenever my kids ask for some screen time, I tell them they can play Ooka Island. They love it and I don’t mind how long they spend on it. Your child will become a confident reader which will encourage them to read more often and independently. It’s a win-win!
- Take your kids to the library. My local library has a great kids section where there is plenty of books within arms reach for the children. We can read as many books as we want, walk around and explore. On a cold winter’s day, it’s the perfect place to go to with your kids.
What tips would you add that have worked for your family to foster a love for reading or helped your child become a more confident reader?
Disclosure: I received compensation as an Ambassador for Ooka Island. As always, the stories and opinions are my own and I was more than happy to share our experience with this great program. You can read my first post where I wrote more about Ooka Island’s history and the wonderful way the app can help your child learn how to read.
Tamar says
Sometimes I do “reading hour” where we all sit around together reading books. I sit on the floor with the younger ones, the older ones reading on the couch.
With my five year old, who doesn’t read properly yet I encourage her to “read” on her own by “reading” the pictures. It’s not only words that tell a story but the pictures do too.
Maya Fitz says
Yes. I completely agree. That’s how I encourage my 5 year old to read too; by looking at the pictures. Do you read to them the entire hour?
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
I read books to my children (all 7) every night at bedtime. As they got older and could read themselves the older ones got an extra 30 mins at bedtime – but only if they were reading. I love books and you’ll usually find me with a book in hand and a coffee in the other 🙂
Maya Fitz says
That’s so great. I bet You are a great role model for them. I can’t wait till I find some time to read for myself again. Right now It’s just kid books for me 🙂
Darlene says
I always read books to my boys when they were small. I had a whole collection of the Golden Books and they loved them. Now we have a tote full of books here for the grandchildren and they love to read too.
Maya Fitz says
I love Golden Books. I just got the Star Wars Golden Books series and it’s amazing. I finally know the story and the boys love reading them.
greenmomsco says
I love all your tips but especially #5! I also love buying books in the same series so they can get to know more about their favourite characters and accepting all kinds of material for reading (e.g., graphic texts, cereal boxes etc).
cottagebunny says
I love all of these tips to help the children read especially #4 because it’s vitally important for them to practice on their own and to feel comfortable to do it.
cottagebunny says
I think these tips are awesome.I especially like #4 because they could pick up a book and practise reading at their own speed and feel comfortable doing it.
kathy downey says
Thanks for all the amazing tips,i always encourage the kkids to read