A lot of my friends have complained to me over the years that their kids don't like to read and that they never pick up a book voluntarily. I’ve never had that problem. In fact, I have the reverse problem. My kids love to read. Its a very expensive habit to, but one I happily support.
Since they were small, my kids have loved books and the stories they contain. As much as they begged for a new toy, they asked for books, books, and more books. They were insatiable. ‘Just one more tory.’ Was the refrain when they were small, and ‘Just 5 more minutes’ the request as they grew.
The speed at which they consumed the words was fast and furious. New material was always on the radar. In fact, the desire for a new read went as far as them guessing my password for the online bookstore and going in and dropping books in my shopping basket.
So, how did I create this love of words, this culture of reading in my house? I don't know that I did anything special, nor do I have a magical solution. I’m not sure that you can force your kids to be good or enjoy something for which they have no interest or inclination. For example, I'm wickedly bad at any and all sports, except yoga, which isn't really a sport. But, my parents did try to encourage the growth of an interest by making athletic pursuits available. They signed me up for lessons in multiple activities, from dance to skating, gymnastics, to baseball. And, I just sucked. At all of it. And I hated it. But, I remember trying, and I received the message that physical activity is important. (In case you’re wondering what I was doing when everyone else was running around? I was reading. All the time. And far into the night.)
I believe that an appreciation for reading, if not a love for it can be encouraged in the same way. What are some things I did when my kids were small to encourage reading and set the stage for literacy as they grew?
(I'll caveat that I was lucky and my kids seemed to have an affinity for reading. When my daughter was four, we 'caught' her reading to a classmate, even though nobody knew she could read.)
• We read to our kids everyday. And not just at bed time. Anytime was story time if there was a book handy.
• Books were everywhere. I had a little bookshelf in the family room/ playroom as well as each child had a bookshelf in their room. The bookshelves were at child level so they could easily access them.
• They kids saw me reading. All the time.
• We made regular trips to the bookstore and library. Long half day trips. Picking a book was serious business. I rarely said no to the purchase of a book, while I did for toys and video games.
• Holiday gifts ( we celebrate Chanukah) and birthdays always included books or gift certificates for the book store.
• Books were part of the ceremony of living. We had books for holidays, birthdays, special events. We had books for feelings, and for good days, and even for bad days. Books were your friends.
So, those are some of my tips to encourage a love of literacy and reading in your home. What are some things you have done to encourage a love of reading in your home?
By @chickymara
