It started with a suitcase that my firstborn and I wheeled into the children’s section at the library. We filled it with a mountain of picture books, then returned home to read them snuggled on the couch or at bedtime.
Certain books became so ingrained that we memorized every picture and phrase, like the Maisy books about the extraordinary mouse who conquered first-day-of-preschool jitters, potty-training hurdles and camping expeditions. For my eldest son and his siblings, these stories and others formed the foundation of their childhood.
A study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics estimates that children who are read to daily hear a total of 1.4 million more vocabulary words than children who are not read to in the years leading up to kindergarten.
Kathryn Starke, a national literacy consultant, founder and CEO of Creative Minds Publications, adds, “When a parent models reading, a child recognizes the importance of reading as a life skill.”
I was dismayed to discover a recent study from HarperCollins UK that found fewer than half of parents described reading to their children as “fun.” Despite recognizing the immense benefits to their child’s development, factors like fatigue, stress, and distractions from technology may act as barriers.
Countless resources guide parents on cultivating young readers, while far less attention is given to helping parents genuinely fall in love with reading aloud themselves. That’s why I felt compelled to offer actionable tips.
Pick books that are fun to read aloud
I’ve found that plenty of children’s books are torturous to read aloud. When my children bring me a book I dislike, I wholeheartedly empathize with the parents in the HarperCollins study who confessed that reading aloud was a chore.
And there are books I once enjoyed but now find monotonous.
My top advice for parents: constantly switch up the material to stay engaged and excited by visiting the library, thrift stores, Little Free Libraries, supporting local bookstores and exchanging books with other families.
Leah Bloom, a former librarian and the owner of Sleepy Hollow Bookshop, a children’s bookstore in Sleepy Hollow, New York, notes that many parents seem to worry their children’s books must be strictly educational or meet specific standards, which often saps the joy from reading.
She recommends focusing on books that are genuinely fun to read aloud, saying parents don’t necessarily need to read the words precisely as they appear on the page. For instance, you can go off script, add funny voices, or even act out specific scenes from the story.
Find inspiration and community at local bookstores and libraries
Another way to make reading more enticing is to visit libraries and bookstores. I always feel more motivated and inspired by the sight of fresh titles and the buzz of others reading.
Bloom believes a physical store offers a more special experience than online shopping or renting, providing an opportunity to explore and discover books firsthand. It helps children choose new titles and often has librarians and clerks eager to recommend books tailored to their interests.
It also fosters community.
“I love what happens sometimes when one parent or a babysitter… will be reading to a child, and then another child hops over, sits down and listens to the book,” Bloom shares. “And that’s something you don’t get anywhere else.”
Create a culture of reading in your home
Think back to when you were a child, urges Starke. What was your favorite storybook? Did you have a bedtime reading routine? If so, she prompts, what differentiates those cherished memories from your current environment?
Perhaps you’ll fall back in love with reading by designating cozy corners in your home as dedicated reading spaces—a fort, a tent, a hammock or simply any spot where you enjoy spending time, suggests Starke.
In our home, books are piled in baskets, on shelves, under beds and stacked high on nightstands. We read on bean bags, the couch, a favorite chair in a sunny corner or my daughter’s reading nook. I tend to always be on the move, but my children know that if they bring me a book, I will pause and carve out time to read to them. This means I’m presented with many books throughout the day. Even when I don’t particularly enjoy the story, I relish these moments as their way of inviting me to slow down and be truly present.
Other tips Starke offers to help parents establish a reading culture in their home include:
- Read a variety of genres to keep things interesting, including poetry, nonfiction, fantasy, humor, fairy tales, and the like or introduce your children to your favorite childhood books to create a sense of nostalgia.
- Discuss your favorite parts of a book and ask children the five “W” questions–who, what, where, when, and why–to gauge their comprehension.
- Set goals for a certain number of books or reading minutes and celebrating those milestones.
- Make reading part of your bedtime routine.
- Listen to audiobooks in the car.
- Read everything from grocery store lists to menus at restaurants and street signs aloud.
- Visit the library and create a scavenger hunt. For example, “Let’s find books with red covers or that start with the letter ‘M.’”
Maybe you struggle to create a reading culture in your home because it was never modeled to you. Starke suggests programs like Reach Out and Read as an excellent starting point if that’s the case.
Don’t give up too early
In the beginning, every one of my babies squirmed and cried each time we opened a book. It was as if reading overwhelmed their developing brains. I didn’t give up, though and focused instead on pop-up or touch-and-feel books to engage their attention.
Eventually, my patience paid off. At around 18 months, I noticed a shift in their attention spans. Even if you read just one book a day, I believe you will see your children begin to enjoy reading, and it’s likely that their enjoyment will become your own.
A few of Leah Bloom’s favorite picture book authors:
- Julia Donaldson
- The Gruffalo
- Room on the Broom
- Snail and the Whale
- Mo Willems
- Today I Will Fly!
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
- B.J. Novak
- The Book With No Pictures
- Alice Schertle
- Hervé Tullet
- Dashka Slater
A few of my favorites:
- Jon Klassen
- This Is Not My Hat
- I Want My Hat Back
- We Found a Hat
- Mac Barnett (often collaborates with Jon Klassen)
- Extra Yarn
- Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
- Square
- Bonny Becker
- The Bear and Mouse series
- Adam Rubin
- Dragons Love Tacos
- Robosauce
Photo by Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.
