Reading is important for children and adults alike. As a parent, you will want to encourage your child to read so that they can grow into an adult with an appreciation for books. This can be harder said than done, so here are some tips on how to raise a child who loves reading.
Read to Them from an Early Age
Making sure your child appreciates stories from a young age is a great way to get them started on their journey towards being a bookworm. Even before they can talk themselves, reading to them will help them learn vocabulary, and over time they will come to love the time before bed-time when you read them wondrous stories.
Create an Adorable Reading Area
Having a designated reading station in the house will make your child want to read more. Put in some fairy-lights, a few cozy blankets, and plenty of cushions, and suddenly you have a cute little reading area for your child to soak themselves in stories. Make sure your kid knows that the area is purely for reading, so that they associate the reading area with books only, meaning they will connect reading with being in their favorite little corner in the house!
Have Full Bookshelves
The best way to raise a book-loving child is to make sure you have plenty of books in the house. Children are curious creatures, and they will explore what is around them. If that is books, then they will naturally gravitate towards them. Make sure there are plenty of pictures when they are young, as they will love flipping the pages and discovering something new each time. This way, they will want to read of their own accord, just by being around a great selection of books.
Buy New Books Often
While having a great number of books is a great start for their curiosity, making sure there is are always new books in the house means they will never get bored with what is around them. A great way of doing this is through purchasing an ongoing book subscription-like Heady Mix. You will feel their excitement when a fresh book is posted through the door!
Visit the Library
Visiting a library as a child can be an exciting time. You can make it a fun day out for them, taking them to the library and letting them choose which books they want to take out, and then later that evening having reading time together. They will love this time spent with you, and in turn, will love the books they discover.
Be an Avid Reader Yourself
Children naturally mimic their parents. If you are a reader yourself, they will follow suit and read. Children become what is around them, so make sure you are often seen with a book in your hand, and they will come to understand that it is what they should also be doing. It’s a brilliantly simple solution – just read! Raising a book-loving child is easy if you follow these simple steps and make sure reading time is as fun as possible. Children love stories, so it won’t take much of a push before they are absorbed in a thrilling adventure, and once they are grown, they will be glad you gave them the gift of reading.
