by Betty Jo Hawkins

Created on: July 18, 2009   Last Updated: July 24, 2009

There are several ways to help children develop the love of reading books.

1. Start reading to them at a very early age. You can read to them while you are pregnant. Then continue to read to them once they are born. Reading can be so rewarding for you and your child. It teaches them to entertain themselves while also educating them.

2. There are all types of books available today, such as, soft books, cloth books, picture books and books with pop outs.

3. Make sure that you utilizes your local library ;they often have story time, summer reading as well as other activities that encourage children to read and interact with other children. Local libraries have a lot to offer people of all ages. Best of all it is free. Teaching your children to enjoy reading is one of the most important things we can do as parents. Children who love to read often excel in school.

4. My daughter is three years old and she goes to the library with her daycare every week and during the winter months the mobile book van comes to her daycare for story time. We are also enrolled in the summer reading at our library. If the child can not read then an adult can read to the child and record the books on the child's log. If you have older children have them read to the younger ones this make them feel like a big helper.

My daughter likes to smell new books. New books have a different smell than older books. I never really paid much attention to that until she mentioned it to me one day. I enjoy reading novels and buy them often. She took my book and said to me "smells like new." I was surprised and believe that she picked that up at daycare. They pick out books every week from the library.

5.Reading is a way to pass time especially during the winter months and a poor economy. Books do not have to be bought; they can be shared with friends, checked out at the local library. If a child is taught to read and reads often then they will continue to read. Most books that become movies are much better than the movie.

6. Reading with a child can be so rewarding, especially when they try to read the book back to you. We often reread the same books and I have my daughter read it back to me. She can't read yet but looks at the pictures and remembers what I have read to her. These are the early building blocks to the love of reading. So take the time to share with your children the basic building block of a life time of learning to love to read.

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