If you love to read, you might feel passionate about passing on your love of reading to your child. Of course, you can’t force your child to enjoy reading, but you can help to encourage an enthusiasm for books and reading. As your child grows older, you can help them to explore a range of books and different ways to read. Reading can help them to explore their imagination, learn new things, and ensure they have vital skills for their future. It’s not just important for them to read words on a page but also to have good reading comprehension. To pass on your love of reading, do the following things.
Start Early
If you want your children to love reading, starting early is the best thing to do. You don’t have to wait until your child is old enough to read themselves. In fact, reading to your child when they’re younger can encourage them to want to read as they get older. Even babies can enjoy books. They can get used to holding and looking at baby books from a young age. You can also read to your baby from age-appropriate books or even from whatever you’re reading. It can help to create a love of reading, as well as develop their language skills.
Adapt to Their Needs and Reading Style
Every child is different, so it’s important to recognize that you might have to adapt to your child’s preferences and needs. Whereas you might love reading fiction, perhaps your child gets excited reading about science or history. You might also want to consider looking at tools such as dyslexia books for children who might find it a little more difficult to read. Some children might like to read along with an audiobook. Others might like comics or graphic novels.
Go to the Library
Visiting the library is always a good idea if you want to foster a love of reading in your children. You’ll find that librarians are often willing and enthusiastic about helping you to find the right books and encouraging your child to read. It’s a good way to allow your child to pick out what they want to read, rather than only giving the books they have to read for school. The library can be a great environment for reading in and exploring books too. If you don’t have an accessible library, even a visit to a bookstore can be fun.
Keep Reading Together
Even when your child learns to read, you don’t have to stop reading together. You can still read to your child or you can take turns reading a book together. Another option is for both of you to read the same book (or other material) independently but then discuss the book together. It’s a good way to improve reading comprehension and also encourage independent thought and creative thinking. You can use books to prompt discussions on a range of topics.
Share your love of reading with your kids and you could see it grow into a passion of their own.
