11 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Love Reading

There are many benefits of reading for children. But we might wonder, why is reading important for children?

It’s important to show children how to love reading. Reading should be enjoyed. Reading is fun! But it isn’t always the easiest to get your child to love reading.

Books have always been a huge part of my life. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love reading.

Having that escape and getting lost in the pages of a great book was such a great part of my childhood. Going on adventures with these characters and becoming a part of so many different stories where anything could happen was exciting and exhilarating. Sometimes books were so hard to put down. And when I finished one, it would be on to the next, totally different adventure.

So it makes me sad when I hear so many kids don’t like reading. I just feel like they are missing out on so much.

Both of my kids are already huge bookworms. Books are all around the house. They absolutely love them.

These days books have a lot to compete with when it comes to technology.

So how can you get your kids to pick up a book and encourage them to love to read? Or how to get your child interested in reading in the first place?

Ways to encourage your child to love reading

1. The earlier you can start the better

Make reading become a part of their life as soon as possible. There are heaps of books available, even for babies, like board books and bath books. Let them play with them, chew on them. Books should become familiar and a part of every day.

2. Start a routine

Choose a time of day when you are relaxed and sit together and read. Talk about the pictures. It’s also good for older kids who can already read. It’s a great way to spend some time together.

3. Try and read every day

Bedtime has always been our reading time and my son wants his book (or two, or three or more) every night.

4. Model reading

If they see you read, they are more likely to pick up a book.

5. Make reading fun

Get your kids to draw pictures or do a craft activity involving their favourite book. You can search on Pinterest for some great ideas.

6. Visit the library

Have a look at all the different kinds of books there are and see if there are some different ones they might be interested in. Sometimes libraries have different activities on, especially during school holidays. Might be worth checking out your local library to see what’s on.

7. Go to Op-Shops or second hand stores for books

When my son was little I was worried about him ruining the library books, so I looked at some op-shops and got some children’s books quite cheaply. So it wasn’t a big drama if he wrecked them (which only happened once).

8. Let books become a part of life

Have books around the house. Instead of turning on the television or tablet suggest reading for a little while. A little bit each day and it will become a part of every day life.

9. Watch the movie

If your kids are older and there is a movie of the book, watch it after reading it and talk about the differences and what they like and didn’t like. I often love both the book and movie, but the movie often misses out on so many interesting parts in the book.

10. Don’t force them to read

Reading should be encouraged, but never forced. Reading is fun, but it’s almost like there is a stigma that reading is boring. If you try and force them, they may never try.

11. Your perception

If you think books are amazing and magical, your kids will likely see them that way too. If you can’t see the magic and wonder of getting lost in a book, it’s hard to expect they will see it.

The Benefits of Reading

The benefits of reading books is astronomical. We all know reading is good for children. But what do they get out of reading? The benefits of children reading are –

It helps build a child’s vocabulary

Reading helps strengthen their brains

Increases their imagination

They have a better sense of themselves

It helps reduces stress

It increases empathy

Improves concentration

They learn more about the world

It calms their mind

They often do better at school

The Benefits of Reading to Children

Reading to children from a young age gives them a great advantage, and is good to continue even as they grow older. The benefits of reading to children are –

It’s a great start to introduce children to books to become familiar with them.

It’s great for bonding, even as a child gets older.

Great for spending quality time together

It can help their speech when they can hear how certain words are pronounced.

Improves communication skills, especially when they start asking questions about what is being read.

There are even benefits of reading out loud. Reading aloud helps children remember what they are reading and they can hear when things don’t sound quite right so they can try again.

Quotes About the Importance of Reading

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents – Emilie Buchwald

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island. – Walt Disney

There is no substitute for books in the life of a child. – May Ellen Chase

Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks. – Dr Seuss

Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift. – Kate DiCamillo

Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. – Neil Gaiman

If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book. – J.K. Rowling

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go. – Dr Seuss

You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax all you need is a book! – Dr Seuss

There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book. – Frank Serafini

It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations – something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own. – Katherine Patterson

There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all. – Jacqueline Kennedy

Fairy tales in childhood are stepping stones throughout life, leading the way through trouble and trial. The value of fairy tales lies not in a brief literary escape from reality, but in the gift of hope that goodness truly is more powerful than evil and that even the darkest reality can lead to a Happily Ever After. Do not take that gift of hope lightly. It has the power to conquer despair in the midst of sorrow, to light the darkness in the valleys of life, to whisper “One more time” in the face of failure. Hope is what gives life to dreams, making the fairly tale the reality. – L.R. Knost

If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books. – Roald Dahl

There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.- Marcel Proust

Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragon’s can be beaten. – Neil Gaiman

I think it’s the books that you read when you’re young that live with you forever. – J.K. Rowling

If my books can help children become readers, then I feel I have accomplished something important. – Roald Dahl

I believe we should spend less time worrying about the quantity of books children read and more time introducing them to quality books that will turn them on to the joy of reading and turn them into lifelong readers. – James Patterson

For some great children’s books, check out  The Book Depository (AU).

They have a great range of books, and free delivery worldwide.

Getting kids to read is more important now than ever. There are so many benefits of reading as a child. Open their worlds, get them to embrace the love of books. It’s how to enjoy reading.

I often wish I could go back to my childhood where I spent hours a day engrossed in a book. It’s an escape from reality where anything can be possible.

Reading is awesome. It’s just a shame a lot of kids can’t see that.

Do your kids love to read? How did you encourage your child to love reading?