by Gauri Trivedi

Created on: December 17, 2008

If you start at the right age, chances are, your kid will be hooked to reading without you having to do anything. Not every adult likes reading, but most children do. For them, books open up a whole new world of imagination and fascination. Kids are eager to learn everything that the colorful and wonderful world of books has to offer, all you have to do is open the doors!

1) Start early

As early as infancy, babies like to hear and see colorful things. Babies can't read, but they sure can hear! Make a habit of reading bedtime stories to your kids right from when they are infants. There is no dearth of colorful books; some of them make noises too. Your baby will love the sounds and gradually she will also learn to listen to what you are reading.

2) Buy books

Ever noticed how kids start making demands for their own stuff when you take them on a shopping trip? What you can do is, buy them books once in a while. Soon they will know and get interested in that part of shopping. Encourage them to go through the available books in the store and make them select for themselves. It will give them a sense of being grown up and get them interested in reading that book, since they bought it themselves.

3) Make the library a second home

And I seriously mean it. Your local library has so much to offer for both you and your child. Library services cover hundreds of things from baby time to toddler story times, to reading with friends and summer competitions. It is up to you, how much benefit you want to derive out of it. If you take your toddler to story time session at the library, he or she will learn to sit for a while with other kids and try and listen to the story. Normally kids are very restless and this kind of sessions help improve their concentration and comprehension. As they grow, if you keep going to the library, kids will find books that interest them and easily learn how to read, with little help.

4) Books while travelling.

For kids, travel can be fun or boring, depending on the companion, distance and destination. Encourage them to take books with them while travelling. Show them the advantages of reading a book on a long flight. Let them have a favorite book they always like to carry on travel, just like a favorite soft toy.

5) Satisfy their curiosity

With reading come questions. When a kid starts reading, his little mind may not really understand all that is written in the book. That is why it is very important to get age appropriate books for them to read. Even then,

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