How to encourage your child to enjoy reading

 If your child is not used to being read to, you should not expect them to be willing to sit and listen to you read a ten page book with multiple sentence descriptions. You can start with basic board books that feature just a word or a simple phrase on each page. Pay attention to what characters and shows your child enjoys watching the most. Find books featuring these characters to show your child that they can experience the same characters and style of storytelling away from the TV. If they enjoy adventures, look for adventure books. If your child likes princesses, pick books with princess characters.Kids television shows are not always as bad as some people make them out to be. Many programs targeted at young children promote sharing, expressing feelings and early learning. The important thing to remember with television viewing is that it's a passive activity. Even if the show encourages your child to interact, the majority of the time is spent just sitting and absorbing the information instead of learning through experience. View the list »
Let your child see you reading everything from books to newspapers and magazines.

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Reading is a wonderful hobby and an important skill for any child to master. Picture rich board books are a great place to start when introducing your child to reading. It is never too early to start reading to your child, as reading helps promote language skills and a broad vocabulary for your child. Let your child see you reading regularly as well. In an article titled How to Encourage Language Development (Reading, Writing, Speaking) on Education.com, the North Dakota Education Department suggests that you should let your child see you reading and encourage them to read and describe everyday items to help boost their language skills and confidence in reading. The sooner you integrate reading into your child's daily routine, the more they will look forward to the time you spend reading together.

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  • Kids television shows are not always as bad as some people make them out to be. Many programs targeted at young children promote sharing, expressing feelings and early learning. The important thing to remember with television viewing is that it's a passive activity. Even if the show encourages your child to interact, the majority of the time is spent just sitting and absorbing the information instead of learning through experience. 
  • Pay attention to what characters and shows your child enjoys watching the most. Find books featuring these characters to show your child that they can experience the same characters and style of storytelling away from the TV. If they enjoy adventures, look for adventure books. If your child likes princesses, pick books with princess characters.
  •  If your child is not used to being read to, you should not expect them to be willing to sit and listen to you read a ten page book with multiple sentence descriptions. You can start with basic board books that feature just a word or a simple phrase on each page. 
  • Make reading interactive by having your child talk to you about what they see on the page or even simply describe what is going on. Let them point out animals, trees or other things they see on the page. In the article Helping Your Child Learn to Read from the HealthyChildren.org website, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that having your child participate in reading a story will help retain their interest and get them excited about reading. Have them read letters and numbers on signs everywhere they go to practice reading in different situations and environments.
  • Take your child to the library to enjoy story time. This allows your child to get used to being read to by other people. You can also meet other moms and children at story time and bond over books. If your child is old enough to handle books carefully, consider borrowing a book (of your child's choice) from the library each week to keep the excitement of reading alive. 
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, Manchester New Moms Examiner

Mia Faller is a first time mom to a beautiful little girl born in August, 2010. She holds a B.A. in English from Plymouth State University. Faller’s writing career writing career includes: writing and editing for her university newspaper, book reviews and newsletters for a local bookstore, as...

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