If you love reading, likely you’re hoping to pass that love of reading to your child. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and you may find yourself with a child who resists your efforts. I have been there. Here I will give some tips and tricks on how to encourage your child to love reading.
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Why Is Encouraging Reading So Important?
Reading is crucial to our livelihood, and there are endless benefits to being a good reader. Here are just a few examples.
Reading feeds our imagination. When reading a good book, maybe you imagine the details. For example, you think about what the main character looks like. You think about the details of the setting. You may get attached to certain characters. Likely, you make predictions about the plot and change your opinions of characters as the story progresses. We fill in so many gaps when we read. As a result, we connect with the story and the characters.
Reading changes our mentality. We have to focus our attention on what we’re reading. In turn, we can develop patience, self-control, and empathy. We can build a connection with the characters. How are they feeling in a certain situation? What would we do differently in the same situation? Reading builds real-life skills!
Reading nurtures our deep thoughts. Be a careful, thoughtful reader, this can help you remember what you have read, and act on it later. Often something we have seen in print will stick with us for years to come.
You’re missing out if you do not know how to encourage your child to love reading. I know you do not want your child to miss out on this important opportunity.
What Can You Do to Encourage a Love of Reading?
Read from an early age. Read aloud to your unborn baby. Newborns also benefit by being read to. Try picking a boring book, when you really want your toddler to fall asleep. (That’s a joke, we all know kids sleep when they want.) Reading is a great bonding experience with our children. The more we read, the more our children will understand their world.
However, don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t start early. My older son was read to early, and often. I spent a lot of time in Kindergarten and First grade worrying about him enjoying reading. Still, he has never enjoyed reading, though he is a good reader. My younger son wasn’t read to as often and he has taken more of an interest in it.
Each. Child. Is. Different.
Please, give yourself some relief from mom guilt. Yes, your child should learn to read. It is important for their development. No, it’s not something you need to worry about constantly. Let each day take its own course, and I promise you, they will get there.
Fill the shelves with books, books, books! I have always had books on my shelves. (I even enjoy color-coding them to make things pretty...) Make them easily accessible to your child, even at a young age. I have a small bookshelf mounted on my sons’ wall right by their bed. I am always so happy when I see them flipping through books there.
Create a cozy, inviting spot where your child will want to be. You may be surprised to see them in that spot with a book!
Put in the Work of Encouraging Your Child to Love Reading
Don’t be left in the dark on how to encourage your child to love reading, take these suggestions.
Monkey See, Monkey Do. Your child will likely follow your example, though it may take time. When you read to your child, put excitement into your reading. Change the voices of the characters, and set the mood of the story, with your tone of voice. Laugh and giggle, and be silly. Show your child that you enjoy reading too.
Talk to your child about what you’re reading. Help your child see how the things you read affect you, and how they shape your understanding of new things.
Visit the library often! This goes without saying. The library has great resources, often for free. My local library has a free book bin. They withdraw books often, and in the free bin, it goes! I have found countless books this way. I can’t tell you how many times I have found books that were perfect for what we were covering in school that week. Check to see if your library has book sales. I get pretty giddy when I see my library’s bookstore is open.
I have also found many good books at Goodwill. So many of our history books for this homeschool year were found in these ways. Yard sales, Facebook Marketplace, and so many more options are out there waiting for you to use!
Just Relax!
This one is hard for me. As I said before, I worried so much about my first son. He just doesn’t enjoy reading. One thing I have come to realize, though, is the more I push, the more he resists. So just relax. I worried for nothing, really. He has found some books that he enjoys. He is currently reading a chapter book about Abraham Lincoln and enjoying it. This brings me to my next point.
Let Them Choose What They Read
I have always tried to push my own favorites on my son. I wanted him to read the classics when he just wanted to read something with silly boy humor. Don’t try to change your child’s interests, based on your interests. You will likely get more pushback.
Allow your child to pick out their own reading material. My son has surprised me with what he enjoys reading. He has found a love of history and geography.
Again, Relax!
Not all children will develop a love of reading. That is ok. Likely, you will find your child develops other interests. My son who dislikes reading is very creative in other ways. He is good at math and enjoys science, history, and geography. Reading has become part of our school day, and he enjoys it on his own terms. All the worrying I did was for nothing, as he is just where he needs to be. I do secretly hold out hopes that my younger son will become an avid reader. But I may need to let go of that, as well, as he develops his own interests.
The bottom line is…Do what you can and worry about nothing, and let them grow into their own interests. If they are happy, you will surely be happy too!
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