How to Raise a Child Who Loves Reading Books

I often get asked how I managed to instill a love of books in my children. At first, I thought they were simply born with my genes and love to read because I love to read. But my son changed that perception. Books did not interest him much. Things are very different now. All 3 of them are devoted little bookworms and yes, there are a few things all moms can do to raise a child who loves reading books. Sharing some of my personal tips on this topic today.

Raise Kids Who Love Reading Books – Positive Attitude, not Skill Set

There is a sure shot way to do that but it requires some dedication and a lot of involvement. If you are up for the challenge, just follow some tips I share in this article to instill a love for books in your children. The love for books begins with listening to stories told by mom, dad and grand parents. But for a child to want to grab a book by themselves, you need to work on their literacy skills as well.

Your Goal Should be to make them Love Reading, not add another Skill Set

I try not to push hard with the vocabulary and literacy skills, because the joy of reading is in the attitude towards books. It is not a skill to be learned. If you push your child too much, he might end up hating books. On the other hand, if he or she begins realize that reading a book is a fun and enjoyable experience, he will begin to love them. Consider reading as developing a positive attitude towards and not a skill set to be used in life. This will make all the difference and the love of reading will stay lifelong with your child. He will genuinely learn to appreciate the company of books rather than seeing it as another skill set needed by him to thrive in the society.

Simple Tips on How to Raise a Child Who Loves Reading Books

While it is very important that you understand the Attitude vs Skill Set that I have mentioned above, it is also important for you to encourage your children to read with these simple tips.

1. Make Books Available for Them

I will not debate the fact that my children love reading because they grew up seeing books around them. Do you see the enviable little library they own?

There are lots more – in their drawers and in their storage stools. This concept is very simple. When kids see books around them, they will reach for them. It can backfire if you try to choose books for them that suit your tastes (or your ambitions for them). Read on for ideas on which books to stock.

Books can be expensive! Buying books is not the only option. If you have friends whose kids read books, arrange for a book exchange. Or join a local book library. You can even look for good quality used books online. I have bought many used books and saved a whole lot of money on them.

2. Start Early

It helps to start as early as possible. A 2 or 3 year old does not develop any special vocabulary skill when you start reading to them, but they do learn to accept books as a part of their life. I started reading to my son at the age of 3 and to my baby daughter at 8 months or so! No, she did not understand a word. She just loved to listen to me and watch me flip the pages of the book to reveal a new colorful page for her.

Tear-Proof Books for Babies:

When they begin to sit down, give them cloth books to experience a book firsthand and without the fear of them tearing it apart. I will soon be sharing my cloth books and how I made them in a separate post later this week.

When a little more older, give them tough board books! The kind that are made to handle rough play. Let the kids experience the joy of turning a page and finding something new on it.

3. Didn’t Start Early? No Problem!

We early-reading moms can make it daunting for other moms who are not over-anxious like us! But do not worry. It is never too late to encourage your child to read. I have a cousin who was never interested in books and suddenly developed a love for them in college because of his peer group. Whether your child is 6-7 year old or a teenager, you can find a book that interests him or her and encourage them to read. For younger children, reading to them makes for some great parent-child bonding time and leaves you with fond memories.

4. Interest-based Books

Just like the Attitude vs Skill Set problem mentioned above, choosing kids’ books can be a tricky task. You might want them to read great children’s authors, but that could end up making kids hate books just because they were forced upon them. I so wanted my son to read some great children’s adventure books but he was more interested in listening to their stories, rather than reading books. So, I chose for him early reading books on his favorite characters like pirates, Marvel Avengers etc. and on his favorite toys and interests like toy cars, fire trucks, ambulance and Lego city books. He read them out of sheer interest for the subject and has now graduated to reading many other books including the one I recently reviewed – Animal Fair. He thoroughly enjoys reading them and has finally made friends with books 🙂

5. Interactive Books

When you find that books are not able to hold the attention of your kids, try looking for interesting books. There are books with sounds, surprise flaps, moving parts etc. that the kids are unable to resist. My son loved his Pirate book where he could move the boat. My daughter loves her noisy ‘Peppa Pig’ book. At first, she was only interested in pushing the buttons to listen to the sounds, but gradually she started leafing the pages too.

Interactive books are also great for older kids when you want them to take up educational and informative book. My kids have books full of activity like finding stuff inside the pages and books with 3D creations that make reading and learning fun.

6. Let Them Read to You

It takes a LOT of patience, but the results are worth it. As soon as your kids are of an age to read a little, instead of reading to the kids, ask them to read to you. They will enjoy reading to you very much. It gives them a sense of importance and they will take extra efforts to read the story.

Always keep in mind that your aim is to make them love books, not develop a skill for the sake of competitions or success. Think of what will make the books endearing to them, and before you know it, they will grabbing a book on their own. Your job is done there. Once they develop a love for reading, they will be hungry for more and more and will begin to look for books with more ‘real content’ and less pictures and stuff. It will happen gradually and one day, they will be off on their own.