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Reading is something we are passionate about at our house. There are books in almost every room of our house and reading happens everywhere!
We've been having a great discussion over on our Toddler Approved Facebook page about how to foster a love of reading with your child. Come join in!
How are you raising kids who love to read?
We keep things pretty simple at our house because simple means do-able... and then that means reading actually happens!
Here's what we do...
1. Read a lot and in a variety of ways! Together, independently, in pairs, aloud, silently, etc.
The most important way to raise a reader is to READ A LOT! Do you have a favorite way to read? Varying it up also makes it more fun and interesting. I love doing a read aloud to all three of my kids and I also love just snuggling up with my daughter and reading just to her too! I love watching my two older kids sit together and read while I make dinner and I think it is adorable when my husband is reading with our kids. When guests are in town it is also special to have them read aloud to the kids. I love seeing how much more engaged my kids are when someone (besides me) is reading to them!
2. Incorporate reading into a variety of times of the day... not just bedtime.
My favorite time to read to my kids is at mealtimes. We also love to have a designated 'reading time' in the mornings. Often we are still in p.j.s and we just cuddle up on the floor and read 10-15 books. If my toddler was in charge we'd do non-stop reading all morning. At bedtime I am exhausted and my voice is tired. We usually just read one book before bed... but I never feel bad about that if we've read 20 other books (sometimes the same one again and again) during the course of the day.
3. Do simple book related crafts and activities.
We love doing book related crafts and activities. My favorite ones require no materials but just gets kids moving like characters in the story. Today when we read a book we ran around the kitchen after each page pretending to be each animal in the story. It was exhausting and so much fun! We also love finding ways to create book-related hunts.
4. Rotate books.
Just like with toys, it is smart to rotate books around the house. I like to move books from closed cupboards to buckets and from shelves to cabinets and from cabinets to special book sleeves. The kids are great at helping with this since often books never make it back to the right spots. 🙂 You can rotate books for a variety of reasons- seasons, topics you are learning about, holidays, etc. Rotating books keeps them interesting for longer and helps you need less books! Less is more and I think you enjoy books more when you only have a few that are out as options. It is also less overwhelming for kids!
5. Have books accessible for kids of all ages.
We have loads of books at our house. I don't restrict the baby to just reading board books or my 5 yr old to just early readers. We read anything and everything that the kids are interested in and I try and not stress about them ripping books or loving them to death... too much. My 5 yr old's favorite book is a 6th grade textbook about the earth's interior. He loves learning every fact related to volcanoes and earthquakes. I never would've known if I'd restricted him to just books for kids his age or reading level.
What else would you add?
Since we love books so much (especially a large variety of books) I am super excited to be hosting a Usborne Books eShow and Giveaway today!
Usborne Children’s Books just received the award of "Children's Publisher of the Year in 2012." They have books that go from birth through middle school on all kinds of topics and at a variety of levels. Anything from bath books, board books, phonetic readers, all the way to middle school fiction, non-fiction and home-school learning resources. The 1500 bright, colorful and fun titles also include workbooks, activities, puzzles, sticker books, card games, and more. You can buy them individually or purchase some of the discounted book packages offered to save money. Usborne Books are packed with knowledge and illustrated in a beautiful and creative way! Most importantly they encourage a LOVE of reading! If you have any questions about choosing the right books for your child you may contact Jennifer Collins through her website at www.myusbornereader.com
For our Usborne eShow I am going to share several of our favorite books with you and I will also share a special link just for Toddler Approved readers to use.
An eShow is kinda like a tupperware party for books... except is it online! If we all lived close by you could come to my house, browse through books, eat some treats, and then buy a few of your favorites. Since we don't live close by, grab your favorite treat and check out the links below and see if there are any books you want to buy!
Buying through the eShow link will help me earn free books (some of which I will be sharing with you via giveaways and reviews on the blog later this year).
Usborne has books for every age level and on basically any topic, so there's definitely something for everyone! Here are a few of my favorite noisy-touchy-feely books...
Here are some of our favorite non-fiction books (my 5 yr old LOVES these!)...
These are some of my toddler's favorite touchy-feely books...
My toddler loves stickers, so these sticker books are fun... (especially when we need a quiet activity at church or on the airplane)
Sticker Dolly Dressing Princesses
These are some other non-fiction books we love at our house... especially the one about space!
If you are planning to buy some books soon for birthday gifts for your kids or friends, this Usborne eShow is a great way to stock up on some great titles!
Click on this Usborne eShow link and you'll be taken over to our special shop for "Toddler Approved" customers.
Here are the details about the Toddler Approved Usborne eShow...
eShow Dates: April 2nd to April 7th
Toddler Approved Link: https://u3557.myubam.com/17288
Giveaway: Those who place an order through this show are automatically entered into a giveaway for $20 in FREE books. You will be contacted as soon as the show ends to choose your FREE books!
There are also a few special customer specials going on this month that you can check out below. You may contact Jennifer Collins through her website at www.myusbornereader.com if you have any questions.
See Inside Your Bosy and the sticker ballerina's are two of my girls favourite books! We love Usbourne for great, interesting books.
Oh I love this topic! As a former school teacher, I've been researching ideas to teach reading for some time. Here are some posts I've written about tricks that are working WONDERS for my daughters.
On Learning to Read with Love Letters- frommyhearthtoyours.com/2012/06/learning-to-read-love-letters.html
On Raising Readers- frommyhearthtoyours.com/2012/08/raising-readers.html
A great, fun book to encourage reading and writing- frommyhearthtoyours.com/2013/03/q-day-for-kids-three-year-journal-by.html
Let's keep helping those kiddos. Reading and knowledge can only help those cuties stronger.
Thanks for posting!
I am not familiar with Usborne Books, but plan to order some for my grandson.
We loved the This is Not My series! The new series with sound looks fun too!
Great tips! I would add the following:
1. Go to the library on a regular basis.
2. Model the love of reading (I.e., let your kids see you reading)
3. Use sign language while reading books.
4. Audio books of their favorite books for car trips.
Having a habit of reading is a very good plus point for the kids future. These tips are impressive and remarkable.