20 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Love Reading

Motivation is a key factor in teaching children to be lifelong learners. Reading is a skill that improves with motivated practice and constant exposure to books.  Here are simple ways to nurture a child’s love for reading.

1. Instead of watching TV, pick-up a book. Set a time each day to read together.
2. You’ll encourage your kids to read more if they see you reading often too.
3. Support your child’s interests. If your son loves superheroes, buy books about those characters. The same if your daughter likes puzzles and pets.
4. Always have books available to your child.
5. Differentiate between reading for pleasure and reading for information so that your child appreciates both.
6. If your child shows an enthusiasm for reading, don’t overdo it by buying an entire set of encyclopedia. It can ruin a budding interest before it starts.
7. Read everything: novels, biographies, magazines, newspapers, the backs of cereal boxes, menus, billboards.
8. Subscribe to a kiddie magazine of your child’s choice. Kids who are allowed to develop their own tastes read more than those forced to read what their parents want.
9. Introduce him to poetry. Poetry for children tends to be funny, engaging, and fairly easy to read.
10. Write a family book and update it regularly.
11. Write love notes to your child and have him write back.
12. When sending a message through a cellphone, spell all words correctly and encourage your child to do the same.
13. Let him see you respond to what you are reading. If it’s a funny story, laugh and tell your child about it.
14. If you have an active child, make bedtime your relaxing and reading time.
15. After finishing a book, encourage him to share it with others to keep the story fresh in his mind.
16. When you want to give a reward for something your child has accomplished, let it be reading time with you. Or, a trip to the bookstore to buy a new book.
17. Expose kids to educational software. This adds to a child’s literacy experience.
18. Let your kids ask questions. Instead of giving an answer, ask what he thinks. This helps develop critical thinking.
19. Make reading fun. Use a variety of voices while reading a story.
20. Create a reading atmosphere of praise and joy rather than criticism and judgment.

I also have links to my other articles through my blogs: Sharing my Thoughts and Lifestyle Magazine for Moms

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