Reading is more than just developing the literacy skill in children. It is about expanding children’s imagination and building empathy in them, as we saw in our last blog - Books Build Empathy.. Thus, we know the benefits of reading and we want our children to develop the habit of reading. But are we doing enough for them to facilitate reading habits and make them avid readers?

Well, this blog can help find answers to some of the pressing questions concerned with your child’s reading that have been bugging you for long. Here what you, as parents, can do:

Reading Resources – Inculcating reading in early years, like in toddlers, can be done through various types of books that attract them more towards reading like Picture Books, Board Books, Story Picture Books, Interactive Books, Pop-up Books, Toy Books, Comics etc. And for the little grown-up children, provide them with plenty of resources or reading materials. Avoiding technology like Kindle, website reading resources is hard in today’s age of information technology but as parents, continue emphasizing more on printed versions of books. Tell children about the difference between print and online versions of books. This is one way to tell them the importance of books.

Read to children - The first step in creating a reading friendly environment at home is an important step. So, reading and introducing them to books is the best way to foster an appreciation for reading. After all, children are quick to follow their parents’ footsteps. Start reading to them right from their toddler years; bed-time stories really work at this age!

Create a reading area – Setting up a little reading area in the space of your home is a great idea to create your child’s interest in reading. A comfortable corner decorated with lights and cushions can be a fantastic idea to create the atmosphere. One can even use attic spaces or convert unused corners of the house into a stimulating reading environment.

Fix a reading time – Sticking to a reading routine with a dedicated fixed time everyday will discipline your child’s reading habit. You can make it more interesting by increasing your child’s curiosity for “what happens next in the story”!

Genre selection – Choosing what to read to your child is very important. Observe what genre your child is more interested in – Animal Story, Jungle Stories, Fairy Tales, Cute Ghost Stories, Sci-Fi driven Stories, Adventure Stories, Fantasy Tales, Folklore, Realistic Fiction etc. etc. This makes the child more oriented towards reading.

Discuss and Talk – Talking to little grown up children about what they have read, about the story, about what they liked in the story etc. not only expands their imagination but helps parents to know their child better. It gives them a chance to know their child’s level of comprehension about the characters, emotions etc.

Thus, reading is a worthy pursuit, so try making these efforts to build your child’s positive association not only with books, but also with yourself as parents. Last, but not the least, the words of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (First Lady of the United States as the wife of President of John F. Kennedy), sums it up all – “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”