People are constantly asking me how I get my boys to read AND enjoy it. Honestly, I'm surprised by the question. Don't all children like to read? It's hard to understand that some don't. I've always loved reading and can't imagine what life would be like without great stories and reference guides. Here are some secrets that I have learned. Three easy steps to building a love for reading are to share, model and promote.I've always shared my love of stories by reading to my children every day, sometimes, several times a day. Reading to children gets them interested in pictures and text and motivates them to want to decipher the books for themselves. Even after my children broke the code, I have continued to read aloud to them. Hearing a story read aloud places the emphasis on enjoying the story and not on making it a lesson in decoding and comprehension. By sharing books with children, it sets an example of reading for the fun of it and motivates children to want to read for themselves.
Another important step in building a love of reading is to model it. When children witness mom and dad reading, they see it as a common and necessary activity, not a separate chore that must be done for 15 minutes a day. Children need to see the necessity for all books, such as cookbooks for creating meals, dictionaries for looking up new words, textbooks for adult education courses, reference books for hobbies, bibles for spiritual guidance and of course, fiction novels for entertainment. When children notice the necessity for books, they too will reach for them when seeking information or entertainment.
The final step in building a love of reading is to promote it by providing children access to a variety of books. The best way to start is by selecting reference books on anything that interests your child. Yes, books are a costly investment, so think about all your resources, such as the library, thrift stores, yard sales, book clubs and gifts from family & friends. It's hard to promote reading when the bookshelves are empty. Don't miss an opportunity to fill them up, so that your child always has a variety of new reading material available.
Three easy steps to building a love for reading: share, model and promote. Happy Reading!
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Thanks for sharing these tips! I struggle with my step son not wanting to read. It worries me that all he wants to do is play sports. While that is fun it is not a viable career path like he thinks it is.
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