Tips on Raising Kids Who Love to Read

Reading is one of the most important things your child will ever learn. From a practical standpoint, they need to be able to order from a menu, sign contracts, know what they're buying at the store. But beyond the practical applications, reading builds imagination and teaches children-not just facts gleaned from textbooks, but about the difference between fantasy and reality, about the subtle nuances of written language, synonyms and homonyms; it broadens their vocabularies and, cliched as it sounds, can be a virtual escape from reality. So how do you go about raising kids who love to read? It's not that hard.

From the time your child is born, read to him. Let him be lulled to sleep by the soft cadence of Goodnight, Moon, and let him explore different textures while you read to him from Pat the Bunny. Give him soft books to explore with his mouth and hands. As you're reading to your little one, ask him questions about the story, and add your own observations: "What a silly bear! Do you think that could really happen?" Involve your child in the story and he'll stay interested. Even after he can read on his own, your child may still enjoy being read to, especially at bed time or when he's sick.

Surround your child with books. Whether you have an extensive home library or visit the library often, your child should see that books are a constant part of his environment. Keep your child's books on easily accessible shelves or in bins he can get to on his own, and provide a variety of age-appropriate titles.

Let your child see you reading. You don't have to be reading War and Peace or The Great Gatsby; you're not out to prove to your child that you're an intellectual or have a great appreciation for the classics. You just want your kid to see that reading is something you enjoy. Kids look up to their parents and want to copy what they do. If you're curled up on the couch with a good book, don't be surprised if your little one crawls up next to you with one of his own favorites.

Don't be too picky about what they read. You definitely don't want your child reading books with adult themes that they won't understand, but make sure he has plenty of choices. If your child shows interest in a book that you think will be too difficult for him to read, but the subject matter isn't an issue, let him take a shot at it. He may surprise you. If it does turn out to be too difficult, make sure your child understands that it's OK to put that book off until he's a little older. If he chooses something that he thought he'd like and then can't get into it or doesn't enjoy it, don't force him to finish it. He won't learn anything about finishing what he started (it's a book, not a commitment to a pet or something) and won't get anything out of the book anyway. Don't limit your child's reading choices to books, either. Many kids enjoy reading magazines, and even if he's reading something "meaningless" like the TV guide or the back of a cereal box, he's still reading.

Beware of reading incentive programs. Pizza Hut's Book It program has drawn criticism for encouraging unhealthy eating habits while "paying" kids to read. Kids participating in Book It receive a certificate for a free personal pan pizza when they reach a monthly reading goal. I'm not sure how this works in the schools, but we use the program in our homeschool. We order pizza anyway, and my kids' goal is simply to read a little every day, so they aren't reading simple books just to meet their goals, or stressing over a goal they may not achieve. Accelerated Reader is a program that is nice in theory, but when I saw it in practice it was deplorable. Children are assigned a reading level based on a test they take at the beginning of the year so they, their parents and teachers know what books the kids should be reading. They take computerized quizzes on the books they've read and earn a certain number of points based on how they scored. Accelerated Reader can get quite competitive, with schools posting the photos and names of the highest point-earners on bulletin boards, awarding prizes to the top readers, and choosing the students with the highest number of points to attend special field trips at the end of the year. Kids are often discouraged and even prohibited from choosing books that are above their appointed level, so they aren't able to try and challenge themselves. Also, kids who are naturally gifted readers and don't have to try very hard end up reaping all the rewards, while the children who struggle and put a lot of effort into reading, don't earn anything. If reading becomes something stressful and unpleasant, naturally your child will be reluctant to do it.

Allow your child to show off her emerging reading skills. Ask her to find a certain item on the shelf at the grocery store, or to read a story to a younger friend or relative. Do the proud-parent thing and call your child's grandparents so she can read to them over the phone. (Don't laugh-I did this!) Send her on a scavenger hunt with written clues leading to a fun treat or snack at the end. Tell her how proud you are of her, and you're likely to have a little bookworm on your hands.