| A child who reads becomes an adult who reads. Most | | | | books. |
| adults who begin reading at an early age continue to | | | | 5. Make a big deal of their personal writing. |
| learn by reading throughout their lives. Reading is | | | | Writing gives kids an appreciation for the written |
| more than a necessary skill - it's a source for learning, | | | | word and deepens their enjoyment of reading. When |
| entertainment, enjoyment and comfort. The skill of | | | | children and teens start writing their own stories, |
| reading can be one of the most valuable gifts that | | | | they stop viewing books as something magical and |
| you give to your - or any - child. | | | | unusual, out of their reach. If your children write, |
| Still, the question remains: How do you get children to | | | | treat their writing as you would any other book. Buy |
| read? There are so many distractions in today's | | | | them a journal. Help them create and bind their own |
| world - television, cartoons, and video games, to | | | | books. Put their books on the bookshelf next to their |
| name a few - that it may seem impossible to get | | | | bought books. |
| your children to sit down and read, let alone turn | | | | 6. Subscribe to children's magazines. |
| them into reading enthusiasts. As a mother who has | | | | Books are fun, but magazines offer a different kind |
| raised five avid readers, I can tell you that it's | | | | of reading and engagement. Too often, even we |
| nowhere near as hard as you might think. Here are | | | | adults only consider it "reading" if it's in a book. |
| ten important tips for getting your children to read - | | | | Magazines are colorful, topical and fun. Many children |
| and loving every minute of it. | | | | who consider reading a chore when the reading |
| 1. Let them see you read. | | | | comes in book form will eagerly snatch their favorite |
| I'll bet you thought that #1 would be "Read to them", | | | | magazine from the post box the moment it arrives |
| didn't you? That's important (and it will get its own | | | | and not put it down till they've read every last page. |
| tip), but the single most important thing you can do | | | | 7. Make books and magazines accessible - in every |
| to raise children who love reading is to be a reader. It | | | | way. |
| doesn't matter if you read magazines, newspapers or | | | | Buy books and magazines for your kids as gifts. |
| books. What is vital is that your children, from an | | | | Make sure that there are books around the house in |
| early age, see reading as a valuable and fun thing to | | | | places that are easy for them to reach. Make sure, |
| do - and the best way to show them that is to read | | | | as well, that the books you choose are accessible - |
| in front of them. | | | | written for the right age level, and geared to their |
| 2. Read to your children regularly. | | | | interests. |
| Bedtime stories are an enduring childhood ritual, but | | | | 8. Institute family reading time. |
| don't stop reading when your kids outgrow being | | | | When your kids start thinking they're too old for |
| tucked in at night. In our house, we made nightly | | | | read-aloud, institute a family reading time. It can be |
| reading a part of our evening - not at bedtime, but in | | | | as little as twenty minutes a day, or an hour two or |
| the living room. Even when they reached their teens, | | | | three nights a week. The only rule is that everyone |
| my kids would often wander out into the living room | | | | in the family participates - shut off the televisions and |
| to listen if I was reading to younger brothers and | | | | computers and everyone reads. |
| sisters. | | | | 9. Show an interest in what they're reading. |
| 3. Talk about what you read. | | | | The single most valuable reward for most kids is |
| I am not suggesting that you should give your kids a | | | | attention from their parents - so pay attention when |
| reading comprehension quiz every time you read a | | | | your kids read. Notice it when they read a book that |
| story to them. Instead, get used to talking about the | | | | you remember. Ask them what the story is about. |
| books that you read in casual conversation. Mention | | | | Talk to them about the books that they like. |
| how excited you are that your favorite writer has | | | | 10. Watch movies based on books - and then read |
| just published a new book. Ask them how they think | | | | the books together. |
| Ramona (or Harry Potter) would handle a situation. | | | | The other way around may work as well. Television |
| Remind them about scenes in stories that you read | | | | and movies don't have to be the enemy. When you |
| to them when you run into similar scenes in real life. | | | | read Charlotte's Web, rent the video and watch it |
| 4. As soon as they're old enough, get them a library | | | | together - then talk about how well it captured the |
| card. | | | | book. Or reverse the process - watch Harry Potter, |
| Your public library is still the very best source of | | | | then read the book together and talk about how |
| reading material. Take your kids to the library often. | | | | much more depth there is in the book. Either way, |
| Hang out with them in the kids' room and let them | | | | you're fostering a critical eye and showing your |
| choose their own books. Get them familiar with the | | | | children that behind every movie or television show is |
| librarian, and let them see other people enjoying | | | | a writer and often, a book. |