Thursday, March 17, 2016

10 Sure Fire Ways to Help Your Children Love Reading



Many of us believe that reading holds the key to learning, skills, and enjoyment. Yet, reading is not a favorite pastime for many people. I love to read. I learned young and was blessed with a teacher that read aloud to our class daily and a mother who also loved to read and read aloud to me as a youngster. Together they gave me a taste for a world beyond what I could see, hear and taste. They gave me a key to learning whatever I wanted to pursue.

I truly believe that the love of reading is something that is caught not taught, but there are still things that we can do that will encourage the love of reading in our children.


~ Read to them from the time they are tiny. If they're older, start now! It's not too late to start!

~ Let them see you enjoying books— both fiction and nonfiction.


~ Read books to them that are above their reading level.

~ Keep a literature rich environment... picture books, chapter books, classics, even magazines.


~ Read from real books not just electronic devices. Let them enjoy the feel of the paper.

~ Listen to audio books—especially in the car.

~ Read to them consistently. Thirty minutes a day would do wonders!

~ Listen to them read aloud to you.


~ Afternoon silent reading— an hour a day every day. Start this during their nap or rest time. Just leave them with a pile of picture books. Require them to stay there for an hour. It's a good transition from nap times to reading times as they grow older. Mama you need that hour to recharge. They do, too, but you might not like to hear that!

~ Make rainy days special! Hot homemade cocoa or icy milk, a plate of cookies, and a good book!


Give your children or grandchildren the love of reading. Time invested now will pay off with young adults who can learn whatever they want to learn. It's the key. Help them unlock the first door.

Be blessed!

Laura
Happy at Home
Momma to Four
Voracious Homeschooled Readers


This post was featured at Pageant Wagon Publishing.




*Photo Credit Pixabay

18 comments:

  1. I do agree with you Laura. My mother read to me from as early as I can remember, not just nursery stories, but Hiawatha and The Lady of Shalott, wonderful poetry. I have done the same for my children too.

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  2. Yes ma'am, Amen....I am blessed to have a child (well, young adult now) who loves to read. I like to think that perhaps it was because I read to him while I was pregnant. Have a beautiful day, friend.

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    1. I'm sure it helped Linda! I sang and read to mine, too.

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  3. One of my favorite stories about developing a love for reading was something I heard on Story Corps on NPR. It was a story told by an old man to his granddaughter. He was a young black boy in the south in the 40's or 50's. He had a reputation as a "bad boy" and was always cutting class and getting into fights at school. One day he ducked into the library to hide from the principal coming down the hall. While he was there, he picked up a book and liked the picture on the cover. He looked around the library and stuck the book down his pants and left. The next week he returned the book to the library and there was another book by the same author. He stuck another book down his pants and continued this for weeks and he was hooked. He ended up loving reading, went to college and law school and became a judge. At a high school reunion, everyone was in shock to hear that he had become a success and wasn't in prison. He shared his story. The librarian was at the reunion and she shared her part in the story. She saw him stick the book down his pants and she realized that he wasn't stealing it, but was protecting his reputation. He couldn't be seen with a book. She placed books on the shelf each week to grab his attention. And, when she ran out of books in the school library, she drove into a major town on the weekends to get books from a bigger library for him

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    1. That is the most awesome story! What an awesome librarian! Thanks so much for sharing that with us!
      Laura

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  4. Hi Laura, I'm definitely sharing this one. Thanks for the great tips.
    How have you been?

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  5. Such great advice Laura! I loved reading as a child and made a point to always read to my children. All 5 of them love to read. My hubby reads daily. I hate to admit that I don't read nearly as much as I use to. So many other things seem to get in the way. I need to take time! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  6. We've recently started an hour of book time before they start quiet time. I definitely want to them to fall in love with reading since it is such an important skill.

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  7. The happiest times of my daughters' childhoods were the days centered around a good book. At home, on vacation, in the car, every happy memory has a book associated with it in some way or another. Now I'm reading to my granddaughter -- joy!

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  8. Hi Laura! Visiting from the Homemaking Party and LOVE this topic and your post! I'm sharing it on my Pageant Wagon Publishing FB page--right in line with my writing mission. I'm seeking connections with kindred spirits in the realm of developing family literacy and discipleship through the power of storytelling. Reading the classics and learning to "read between the lines" to draw out life and biblical principles, forming character and critical thinking/reasoning, is paramount to literacy. Doing this within the family unit enhances relationships and builds memories. So appreciate this post!
    Joy!
    Kathryn Ross

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  9. How blessed you are to have great memories of being read to as a child! I agree with all of your tips, and try to do most of these with my own children.

    Stopping by from Titus 2sday! :-)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Becky. I'll come by and see you at your blog.

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  10. Excellent! This is my thoughts exactly and what we do in our home! :)

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    1. How many children do you have Jes? Are they young or older like mine? I have teens and a twenty-five year old.

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  11. This is exactly what we do! Thanks for commenting on my blog. :)

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Laura Lane
5 Year Cancer Survivor