Tips to Raise Kids Who Love to Read
As an avid reader myself, there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing my kids enjoy reading. Over the years, I’ve tried to encourage them to read, but I’ve learned that like with most things in life, they will follow the example, and consistency has a bigger effect than s strong push once in a while.
Here are some of the ways I encourage my kids to love reading.
- I let them read books they like. Chloe loves Barbie, so anytime she spots a book about Barbie, she wants to read it. I’ll always encourage them to read what interests them. Caleb was really into the Dog Man series for a while, so I let him read as many of those as he could get his hands on. Then he moved on to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and then the Percy Jackson series. Each time, I’ve encouraged his interest in these books and it has made such a difference!
- Read with them every day. When the kids were younger, I would read to them every single day. It wasn’t usually at bedtime, but at some point in the day, I would read to them. You don’t have to have a schedule, make it work for you.
- Encourage reading choice. Finding pleasure in reading has a huge impact on literacy skills, so encourage them to read what they like. Think about it – if you love reading thrillers and someone tells you that you have to read an autobiography about a romance novelist, you’re probably not going to get through it very easily. But if someone hands you a juicy new thriller, you’ll likely speed through it.
- Connect reading to real life. Caleb has been reading the Percy Jackson books, and it’s been really cool to show him all the influences of Greek and Roman mythology in everyday life. He’s even gotten to a point where he finds the connections himself. And when he discovered that there was a museum in California that had a big focus on Greek mythology, he asked us to take him. And we made it happen! And if there are movies/TV shows to connect the books to, then we encourage them to watch that, and sometimes it’s vice versa! I took the kids to watch Harold and The Purple Crayon this week, and when I told them it was based on an old children’s book, Chloe asked me to get it for her!
- Visit the library/bookstore. Since they were little, my kids have loved visiting the library. We got them their library cards and while we don’t visit as often as I’d like to, it’s always really fun for them and they enjoy browsing and picking out books. Whenever we have a low-key afternoon with nothing planned, I will take them to the library or to the bookstore.
- Set an example. I am a voracious reader, and I always keep my Kindle on me. If you’ve followed me for any period of time, you know this about me. I read at bedtime, and the kids know that. But they also see me reading on planes, at the beach, in waiting rooms. I talk about books often and how they help me connect to others.
- Keep reading materials within easy reach. Again, my Kindle is always with me. When we leave the house and I know we will be waiting for a while somewhere or the kids might be bored, I always tell them to grab a book to bring with them. We’ve got books in different areas of the house, and there are always books on their nightstands.
- Start reading traditions. A few years ago, I started doing Chapters, Not Chocolates with them for Valentine’s Day. They also will receive books for Christmas, and they have come to expect those.
I was recently interviewed by our local CBS station to talk about how we encourage our kids to read. You can watch the segment here.
What else would you add? Let me know below!
xoxo,
Jenise
