How to instill a love of reading in your child
Learn tips on how to creating a reading-friendly environment at home. By engaging with books and language in different ways, you can help your child develop language skills and a lifelong appreciation for reading.
At Children First we believe it is never too young to enjoy books!
- Start with picture books, waterproof ‘bath’ books, books you can tie onto buggies.
- Establish a daily reading routine – a quiet special reading time every day.
- Don’t insist a child sits down for periods of time under 3 if you are reading often throughout the day – a newspaper, shopping list, advertising – they will absorb a culture of reading at home.
- Choose books that you enjoy yourself!
- If you enjoy different books than your child, accommodate with different styles of storytime: passive or uninterrupted listening, allowed to ask questions, sturdy books they can look at on their own, precious books with an adult.
- Read every word on a page. It is better to skip some paragraphs than to paraphrase them because an observant child is looking at the shapes of letters and words as you read them, as well as the pictures.
- Dwell on letter sounds.
- Show children how you respect books.
- Notice the shapes of letters and use predictable words for them – round / curvy / curly / straight.
- From age 4 – longer books with richer vocabulary become possible, but keep the emphasis on an independent enjoyment of books.
- Get others to read to your child too.
- Read your way around town – every situation in life there is something to read in front of your child.
- Don’t just play games to relax, vary your entertainment and calm relaxing activities at home and ensure visual literacy is involved whenever you allow them to play a game on a screen.
