 When it comes to kids and reading, many parents and educators tend to focus on teaching children how to read and work at improving their reading skills.
However, it’s also important to think about improving children’s love of reading and books. In fact, helping your child learn to love reading is an essential component to his/her ability to read and read well.
Improving your child’s love of reading is more than reading stories to him/her, although this is certainly one activity in which you can—and should—participate together on a regular basis; every day, if possible. Here are some other ideas you can try to help your child learn to love to read and, as a result, improve his/her reading skills.
Pick different times to read
Don’t feel limited to bedtime for reading stories and books to your child, even though bedtime stories may well be an important part of your evening routine together. Try reading to your child first thing in the morning to help him/her wake up; it’s a much gentler approach than turning on the lights, yanking the blankets of the bed, and hustling him/her downstairs for breakfast.
If your child is potty-training, read special “potty” books during this time. You can also have reading time when your child gets home from daycare or school. The point is to let your child know that reading can and should be enjoyed at any time of day.
Make it fun
Your child will be able to tell if you don’t care about the story you’re reading to him/her. If you drone on in a monotone voice, mumble, cut sentences short, and keep yawning, your child will pick up on this, become frustrated, and associate reading with boredom and other unpleasantness. Make it fun! Ham it up, using different voices, expressions, and sound effects, as appropriate.
Choose books in which your child will be interested. Let your child pick the book he/she wants to hear, even if it’s the same one as yesterday, and let the book come “alive” with your voice.
Visit the library together
Libraries are fantastic resources for improving children’s love of reading and books. Instead of just swinging by the library on your way home from work or errands and picking up a few books your child might like, visit the library together and spend quality time there. Let your child read a few books in the kids’ section and then pick out a few on his/her own to take home. And don’t limit yourselves to books, either; libraries also usually have audio stories, DVDs and videotapes, and reading programs.
Find out what types of children’s programs the library has and sign your child up or participate in them together.
Walk the talk
You can tell your child all about the wonders of reading and books and how important this skill is and will be in his/her everyday life, and spend lots of time reading together, but the best way to make this stick is to demonstrate a love of reading yourself.
If your child sees you picking out your own books at the library and stealing a moment here and there at home to relax with a good pick, the message—that reading is good, fun, important, and necessary—will be driven home.
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