6 Tips to Encourage Your Child to Read

These six steps will start your children on the road to a lifetime of learning and reading.

1. Read to children as often as possible. If you expose them to reading early and often, it will become a pleasurable experience they will want to repeat when they read on their own.
2. Picture books can help struggling readers to comprehend a story before they can read all the words. Let them enjoy the process, without getting bogged down with the exact words. Let children ‘pretend to read’ using the pictures for guidance.
3. Encourage young children to write and illustrate their own stories. Children have great ideas, make sure they are able to express these ideas freely.
4. Set aside family reading or story time. This can be a read-aloud by the parent or by an older child. As children get older, this time can set aside just for independent reading, for adults (yes, you too) as well as children. It doesn’t matter so much what they read, as long as they enjoy it. When children see their parents finding enjoyment in reading, it helps them to see the benefit.
5. Discuss books. Encourage children to talk about the books they are reading, what they like about a book and even what they don’t like.
6. Get your child a library card. Reading doesn’t have to be an expensive pastime. Take them to the library often. Make it as much fun to them as a trip to a toy store. Let them choose their own books to read.

Read “There’s a Mouse on My Head!” with your child. Imagination is fun. Below is a quote from one of our reviewers.

“Mouse!” is the story of a special relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild. The grandmother is the protagonist. She’s a caring caregiver, a tough but cagey disciplinarian. The grandchild is the antagonist. He’s a clever kid who has no intention of eating his peas but has no such issues with pie.

A stuffed [toy] mouse comes to life, and a wisecracking sister enters the picture. High jinks ensue, and lessons are learned.

St. Louis Jewish Light review