Got readers?
If your kids aren’t in LOVE with reading, begging for more- there’s room to improve.
My kids seriously beg to take books with them, so they can read in the car. They mutiny if I need to stop reading allowed in the middle of a chapter book.
The good news is, it’s neither too late nor too early to turn your child into a super, voracious, book devouring machine! Here are 8 super sneaky tips to turn your child into a book worm!
Tip 1 – Start early!
If you are reading this, it’s time to start intentionally helping your kiddoes fall in love with reading. Whether they are 2 or 22, start today!
The earlier the better. My three month old has squishy bathtub books he can grab, squish, and pull the pages of. This send the message that books are fun from the get- go!
As my children grow, so do the books we give them. Toddlers get hard to tear up books, preschoolers get Hop on Pop, and olders work their way into upper level chapter books and great classics.
A love for reading starts early, but today is not too late!
Tip 2- Use really awesome books
So this one is a given. If the only thing your child has ever seen are boring, ugly text books- he or she likely hates reading. I mean honestly, wouldn’t you? You need really awesome, age appropriate- tried and true books that make the reader want to read more and more! If you want your kids to devour the written word, give them stories worth devouring. When they are young, give the beautiful or fun book imagery. You might not be able to judge a books by its cover, but I guarantee you your children will.
If you need somewhere to start, start with the classics or anything off of this list! =guaranteed win!
Tip 3 – Follow their interests
If your kiddoes don’t love reading as much as you wish they did, or if you are trying to raise voracious bookworms (a.k.a. “Ink drinkers” in Finland ) you need the stuff that sparks their interest!
If you’ve got a Dino fiend- you need amazing dinosaur books. If you’ve got a lover of Minecraft, or super hero’s, or mermaids- there are good books for those!
I mean even if you have a lover of sweets on your hands, theres bound to be a good book on the history of chocolate chip cookies out there somewhere!
They’ve got the spark, you provide some really catchy fuel and you just might ignite a fire for reading that outlasts you as their teacher. 😉
Related: A Fantastic Dinosaur Book Party Sure to Impress your Little Dinosaur
Tip 4- Read A lot, A lot!
If you love something, you want to do it often- right?
Reading is no different. If you want your child to fall in love with reading, and keep that love for a lifetime – it starts with you. Grab a good book, snuggle up and read a lot- a lot!
Studies show that reading often to your children is sooo beneficial for their academic and emotional development. With that in mind, you are going to want to build some time into your schedule to read some to your kids each day.
Related: Shine – a – Light Books we LOVE!
Tip 5 – Reread Favorites
If you have got a book they really love, read it again! Kids think to ask for the same books over and over when they are little – which is great. Even if you are ready to toss That’s Not My Narwhal into your next pot of chili and never speak of it again, keep reading it each time they ask!
When kids get older something strange happens and they forget to ask on repeat x’s 253. This does NOT mean they won’t be interested though! If you find something that sparks their interest, add fuel to the fire by rereading that same book, or by continuing the series.
Tip 6 – Start a Series
Nothing lights a kids fire more than getting through an AMAZING book as a read aloud – then stopping. And I mean cold turkey quitting after that! Read the first book in a series, and then tell them if they really want to know what happens – they will have to read the rest themselves.
Of course you are going to be super sneaky about this! Alas, you are suddenly too busy to continue the series.. but if your child would but start it themselves, they might get to know what happens!
A really good series to start this with is the Boxcar children. Works. Every. Time. (Shhh! Don’t tell my super sneaky secrets to my kiddoes 😉 )
Tip 7 – Bring it to Life
Book activities are the best. Seriously, find some really great activities that go along with the book they are reading – and it’s an instant PARTY! Nothing gets a future book worm more excited than an activity that makes the story jump off the page and into their day.
If your child loves dinosaurs, read some dino-mite books and have a dinosaur activity book party! If your child is reading an appropriate book, make a meal out of it or do the same activity the characters do.
For example, when we read Farmer Boy, we put the popcorn in the milk like Almonzo does. A lot of time a good book activity might even prompt additional reading or even unit studies. It’s totally a win – win situation, trust me.
Tip 8 – Get Excited Yourself
This one might be the most important. If you consider reading to be a chore or something else that needs checked off – so will your kids. It’s henceforth time to turn in to the super book-enthusiast you always wanted to be! 😉
Once you start raving about amazing books, start letting your kids see you read things for yourself. Talk about how wonderful books are – how you can go on so many adventures, and experience entire lifetimes just by flipping through the pages.
They will catch on and you will soon have voracious, ravenous readers on your hands.
Kids who love reading have a hard time putting a book down to do anything else! You’ve been warned 😉
*Bonus Tip*
Have crazy fun bookmarks and reading logs. Fun pretty printables make everything more exciting don’t ya think?
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Tiffany
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