an early love of reading creates lifelong learners
Now that both of my children are attending elementary school, my husband and I are adjusting to reviewing sight words and studying for spelling tests on a regular basis. Our family recently discovered that our younger son could benefit from extra assistance with speech therapy. Since this discovery, I’ve realized the importance of cultivating a love for reading at an earlier stage rather than having to catch up later in life.
Check out three ways we’re fostering our kids’ love of reading below.
3 Ways To Foster the Love of Reading
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Focus on your child’s interests
‘Especially with young children, it matters less what they’re reading and more that they’re reading in the first place.’
For instance, my son happens to be obsessed with cars and any vehicle with wheels: construction trucks, monster trucks, Disney’s Cars, you name it! I find that having books he’s excited about reading and recognizing sight words from his favorite stories helps boost his pre-reading confidence.
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Make funny voices for each character in the book
You can even use and incorporate your kiddo’s favorite stuffed animals as part of your reading experience! Remember when puppet shows were a thing?? Kids are incredibly easy to amuse!
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Rinse & repeat
Have you noticed that your child tends to want to do the same thing over and over again? I find that once a toddler has discovered a new activity, they realize it makes them happy and love knowing what to anticipate next!
So in terms of reading, this is a BEAUTIFUL thing. Repetition plays an important role when it comes to speech development, enhancing vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
Jenny Grimm is a family and newborn lifestyle photographer based in Chicago. She regularly photographs maternity, children’s, and senior portraits for families in the greater Chicagoland area (including Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Arlington Heights, Deerfield, Glencoe, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Northbrook, Western Springs, Downers Grove, Wheaton and more).
