• National Reading Month is a great time to begin
Provided by Shelley Hunsaker, District Librarian, LCSD No. 2
I’m not really sure if my parents ever read any particular studies about how to intentionally instill a love of reading in their children, but I do know that I became a lifelong reader because of them and their bookworm-ish example.
When I was a child, books, newspapers, and magazines were readily available in our home, and I learned that I could go on incredible adventures and meet remarkable characters in the pages of a treasured book.
I have so many thoughts and ideas about reading and how we can help our children become lifelong readers. The following bullet points are just a few of my musings:
Model what a positive reading experience looks like for your children. As a parent, let your children see you reading for both pleasure and information. Create a reading environment in your home with access to a wide variety of reading materials. Select a really great book or a series of stories and read aloud together as a family.
Read aloud to your babies, toddlers and older children.
Create an opportunity to read a book as an entire family.
Begin reading aloud to your new baby and establish this habit early and the benefits for both you and your baby will be incredible!
Read one book aloud to your new baby every other day until they are five years old (it can even be the same book over and over again), and your little one will have experienced 1000 books by the time they enter Kindergarten.
Research indicates that the most reliable predictor of academic success is being read to during early childhood. Reading to children from an early age can help close the vocabulary gap and prepare children to enter Kindergarten with the pre reading skills they need to be successful. Most importantly, reading books and stories in a positive environment with children helps to promote a lifelong love of books and reading.
Consistently talk to your older children about what they are currently reading. This practice is beneficial on many levels. Discussing a book that your child is reading and allowing them to share the details of a story will ultimately help them with comprehension skills. Actively learning about what your child is reading helps your child understand that you are invested in their learning and literary interests.
Books make great gifts for children!
For more information and ideas about how to instill a love of reading in your child, visit your child’s school librarian or your local county librarian, or ask your favorite search engine. There are many effective ways to introduce your child to reading and keep them interested for the rest of their lives.
