How to Encourage Children to Read
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Reading at any age of development
I raised my children the way I was raised, when it comes to reading. Here are my top ten ideas on how to encourage children to read at different stages of development.
1. Read to your children even when they are infants - it can soothe them and you!
2. Turn off the TV, computer, video games, etc., for a set reading time everyday, even if it's only 15 minutes...."Now it's reading time."
3. Read to them during snack time.
4. Sit them close to you when you are reading. They'll feel loved; and they are getting good attention from you.
5. Have them ask you questions at the end of the book/chapter - it gets them to learn how to think about what they are reading for the future.
6. Bedtime stories with hot cocoa for them and you are the best. Of course, you may prefer to drink your coffee or tea. They are left to go to sleep with nice images in their head and warm feelings in the heart.
7. Take them to the library and get them a library card - it makes them feel independent, "Now you can get books whenever you want even if I can't be there to take you." They can go with friends or a relative.
8. Take them to the library and stay a while. Let them read the first 2 or 3 pages there and ask them if they like the way it starts so they can decide if they want to read the rest. Go to different libraries to break up the monotony. Maybe even a trip to a large, fancy library, like the New York Public Library or the Library of Congress in DC.
9. Nothing like a good-old fashioned set of encyclopedias. When they ask you questions tell them to look it up and share what they found with you. It teaches them how to research, makes them feel smart, and confident if they found an answer you as the parent didn't know.
10. Have them read to you. For example: "Hey, since you're such a good reader, why don't you read to me something you enjoyed in school today."
After using all these tips, my daughter, now 21 is studying to be a librarian. Who knew?
By Liza Lugo, J.D.
Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.
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rlaha, thank you for taking the time to read my hub and for making great comments. I used to make different voices for different characters in the books when I read to my kids. It would just crack them up.
Thanks for all the good suggestions for encouraging children to read, lawdoctorlee! I enjoyed reading your hub.
AliciaC, thank you for taking the time to read my hub and commenting. Glad you enjoyed it :-)
These are great ideas. I am a read-a-holic and currently pregnant and can't WAIT to read to my baby. The ideas about reading during snack time and having them ask questions after chapters is really simplistic but brilliant! Vote up.
Ashleymckinnon, thank you for taking the time to read my Hub and comment. Glad you enjoyed it. Congrats on your pregnancy. Thanks for the vote up.
I'm a believer in always reading to my kids. This is a great article, not only do they learn more but they grow up loving to read and smarter.
taylord08, thank you for taking the time to read my Hub and commenting. You and I share the same value in reading to our children (well, mine are grown now). I love what you said on how they grow up.
I am sure the kids really enjoyed you reading them stories with different faces and voices :).
They sure did, rlaha :-)
That's great! :)
My first son, that sixteen now had the opportunity to go to an advanced school because of his reading and understanding.when it comes to learning he can tell you I don't play. But I do it to better them, so they can have a better life than I had.
taylord08, thanks for reading my Hub and commenting. I wanted mine to have a better life too.
Such a great hub! We often assume that all parents know the importance of reading to their children. As a teacher, I know firsthand that this is sadly not the case. I especially love #9 regarding encyclopedias. I give explicit lessons to my 3rd graders on the wonderful resource that encyclopedias can be, but am often met with the question, "Why would we want to go to the library and look up the information in an encyclopedia when we can just google it?". Although I am a strong advocate of technology, I have to admit that this is one of the negatives.
Your children are lucky to have such an insightful mom!
teachertalking1, I am flattered that you took the time to read a few of my Hubs. Thanks for your following and for your comments, which have been very encouraging to me.
thanks, its good suggestion for kids.
Great Hub, we have tried several of your ways with our kids, and our daughter (who is almost 2) loves to read. Our son (who is 6) still enjoys being read to, but we are struggling with helping him become an independent reader. He knows lots of "tricky" words and has a great vocabulary (he gets that from his mother). Thanks for the information, we need to go back to these basics and keep helping our kids develop a great love of reading! Thanks again!
I found a lot of difference in my daughter after I started reading to her.Reading to our kids is a wonderful thing and we should make it a habit. You have given simple and great ideas to make it a habit. I enjoyed it very much as I experienced the benefit of reading to kids. I want other hubbers to enjoy this and so sharing your hub!
Voted up and useful!
Your hub is really very useful and meaningful.The parents have to play a special role in developing the book reading habit in the children.
I also wrote a hub on this same subject. I wrote it after experimenting the different methods of developing this habit in my son. The result is that I am experiencing a tremendous knack of reading in my ten year old son. Yours is a really well written hub.
You're welcome web-tools. Thanks for taking the time to read my Hub and for commenting.
You're welcome,Rev. Akins. Thank you for taking the time to read my Hub and for commenting. Always stick to the basics. I think there was a football coach back in the day who started training with: "This is a football."
sankari.nayagam, thank you so much for taking the time to read my Hub and for commenting. Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing my Hub with others.
Hi Everyone! I need your vote!!
Guess what? My Hub "Top 10 Ways to Get a Raise from your Employer" has been selected among 6 candidates for this week's HubNuggets contest on HubPages!
The criteria for selection as a HubNugget is entirely dependent on votes, so please vote for this Hub before Wednesday, February 15, 2012!
Click on the HubNuggets at http://hubpages.com/topics/business-and-employment Vote Now tab at the top, right below the title.
Thanks so much for your support and following of my written works.
Liza Lugo, J.D. aka lawdoctorlee
I enjoyed your hub and completely agree with all the points you made. As a teacher though, I can't control what my students go home to and I have to come up with ways to get students motivated to read when they leave my room. Reading quality literature and material that they are interested in keeps their attention in class, but I want them to want to read at home too. Your hub would make a great flyer to send home to parents.
Rosie, I understand your plight. Between budget costs at schools and the limited time you have the children it's difficult to be a teacher these days. How many students do you have personally? I might be willing to allow you to copy this article to send home to the parents as a flyer.
Additional to the recommendations stated above, another new and fantastic way to help encourage children to read is with the help of Samson's Classroom. The online series focuses on intriguing children while helping them with reading comprehension, spelling and sight words. Check it out and see for yourself! http://www.samsonsclassroom.com/
Jaimie, thank you for taking the time to read this hub and for your comments. Also, thanks for the link :-)
rlaha Level 5 Commenter 3 months ago
Hi lawdoctorlee. I enjoyed reading this hub. Parents or caregivers should really encourage their children to look at pictures in books at an early age to get them interested in reading. As you said, taking them to the library or reading them bedtime stories also are great pointers to get the children interested. The way one reads the story to the child also will have an impact on the child's interest to read. The more entertaining the parent/caregiver, the more interested the child remains.
Great hub! Voted up, interesting and awesome!