In today’s post, I talk about all things kids and books and why I already know my children will be life-long readers. Here are my top 10 tips for encouraging kids to be readers:
- Daily Read-Alouds
- Books Everywhere
- Bring Books Whenever Kids are Waiting
- Books as Gifts
- Books as Rewards
- Regular Library and Bookstore Trips
- Reading in Front of Your Kids
- Never Pit Reading Against Something Easy
- Treat Books with Care
- Choose Your Standards Wisely
1. Daily Read-Alouds
If you’re in the homeschool space, you’ve probably heard of Sarah Mackenzie and The Read-Aloud Family – her book and her podcast. I put off reading the book for a while, thinking I didn’t need convincing of the benefits of reading aloud to my kids. Even if you think you know all the benefits and don’t need to be persuaded, I still recommend her book. I also really loved The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon. Both will convince you – if you’re not already – that daily read-alouds are worth scheduling into your busy day.
Reading aloud is pretty self-explanatory, but I will just add that if you want your kids to love reading, you’re going to have to indulge the little ones who want you to read stuff like The Little Engine That Could 3 or 4 times in a row in a given night. Or the same Berenstain Bears book every night for a week. Children, especially really little ones, enjoy repetition. So get comfy and indulge your book-loving children by reading their favourites again and again. And again. Without complaining, rolling your eyes or reading in a monotone. Or as fast as you can. (All things I have been tempted to do and are sometimes guilty of.)
2. Books Everywhere
There are studies that suggest just growing up in a household filled with books leads to greater academic success as well as other benefits. Whether or not this is true, I have seen the effects of having books everywhere in our home. In addition to having bookshelves in our master bedroom and the living room, the kids have a sizeable bookshelf in their shared bedroom. They also have a basket for current library books that they chose themselves. I have the ubiquitous basket of books in the bathroom for those longer visits. And I have a collection of favourites in my truck for long rides. These get rotated as often as I remember to do so. And the few times I have cleaned out my truck and not replaced the books, my daughter insists on bringing a book with her when we leave the house. She is now conditioned to reach for a book when bored in the truck.
3. Bring Books Whenever Kids are Expected to Wait
Whether it’s church, a doctor’s appointment or a sibling’s extracurricular activity – any time one of my kids is expected to wait, I bring books. They don’t have iPads or any other kind of screen. I rarely – only as a last resort, like a screaming child on a road trip – do I ever let somebody watch something on my phone. In our family, if you’re bored, you can stare off into space or pick up a book.
4. Books as Gifts
Easter baskets, Christmas, birthdays… books are always a good idea.
5. Books as Rewards
For my oldest daughter, I like to celebrate accomplishments with a trip to the bookstore when I can. We browse the books together, talk about which ones look good and why and then let her choose something. Encouraging kids to be readers is always easier when they’ve picked out something special themselves.
6. Regular Library and Bookstore Trips
I try to make library trips a weekly routine for our family. A lot of the time, I will put books on hold and just pick them up. But if I have a bit more time (or the kids ask me), I will take them into the kids’ section of the library and let them pick out what looks interesting to them. When I can afford it, I try to make bookstore trips a semi-regular occurrence as well. Especially when my oldest daughter has birthday money to spend.
7. Reading in Front of Your Kids
If you’re a reader, read in front of your kids. This is probably one of the most important ways of encouraging your kids to be readers. I know it’s not always easy to relax before the kids are in bed. But I highly recommend finding time, maybe on a weekend, to curl up on the couch with a book, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Make sure they see you enjoying reading for fun whenever you can.
8. Never Pit Reading Against Something Easy
For example, asking your kids Do you want to read or watch tv? Reading takes brain power. It takes imagination. As much as a person may enjoy reading, most people, including adults, will prefer the easy to the better. Just think of the last time you reached for an apple over a potato chip when given the choice. I try to never pit reading against something else that is easier. In my mind, I don’t want them to be put on the same level. Potato chips are not in the same league as apples, so why offer them as if they were?
9. Treat Books with Care
We don’t play with books. I let my little kids explore books and yes, they get dinged up. But in our home, we have rules about touching books with clean hands. Not using books as toys. (Unless they are playing library. Which is adorable.) Not stepping on books, etc. I remind my kids that books are expensive and precious and deserve to be treated with respect.
10. Choose Your Standards Wisely
Last, but not least, I think an often overlooked method of encouraging kids to be readers is by choosing your standards wisely. As homeschool mothers, I’m sure we all have our own hills to die on when it comes to standards for literature. Having standards is important. However, I don’t think every book your child is read aloud or has access to needs to be worthy of Jane Austen. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thrown out books that were gifted my children for having poor grammar and questionable content. I would consider myself quite particular. That being said, I also have vintage Disney books of Disney films. I’ve read the Disney version of 101 Dalmatians more times than I can count. This is hardly high quality literature. But you know what? My kids enjoy story time. And we read a lot of different genres, including age-appropriate classics. So let your kids have those fun and easy reads. It’s all about balance. I love to read challenging works, but if I were only allowed to read things that challenged me, I wouldn’t enjoy reading for much longer.
What did I miss? Do your kids love books too? What do you think has contributed the most to encouraging your kids to be readers?
Keep Reading About…
Getting in more reading time during the summer: Summer Reading Tips
How you as the teacher can make time to get more reading done: Find Time to Read as a Busy Mom
Some great books about reading aloud: The Enchanted Hour and The Read-Aloud Family
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