Raise a Child Who Loves to Read

We all know how important it is for children to read, but what about raising children who will read on their own, or better yet, love to read? Children who love to read will gravitate towards books; spending time curled up on a couch with their favourite tales. A love for reading develops children’s oral language skills and vocabulary, improves children’s concentration, opens children up to learning new ideas, develop empathy for others and sets them up for a lifetime of critical thinking.

Here are some useful tips for nurturing your child’s love for reading that can last a lifetime:

1. Make time every day when you and your child can read together for at least 10 to 20 minutes.

2. Read to your child aloud. Choose a variety of books that appeals to your child’s age and interests.

3. Exhibit a love of reading.When your child observes that you love to read, he is more likely to develop a love of reading himself.

Here are some of our recommendations:

Count on the classics: Books are called classics because they continue to engage readers generation after generation. You can try introducing your children to books you loved as a child. Some good classic collections are Roald Dahl, Dr Seuss and Narnia books, Children Classics Collection.

Savor the series: It is common for children to become book lovers for life after getting hooked on a series. There are a lot of good recommendations that will keep your children hungry for the next instalment. Some recommendations are: Geronimo Stilton, Beast Quest for beginner readers; and Hunger Games , Warrior Cats for older kids.

Read about the things your kid loves: If your child adores horses, try A Pony Called Secret or Fairy Unicorn. If he is wild about vehicles, check out Amazing Machines Collection  or Thomas and Friend First Story. Dinosaur lovers, please do check out Dinostories, Dinosaur Cove Cretaceous Collection or Dinosaur Detectives Collection. Librarians, booksellers, and Internet searches can help you find books on any favourite topic.

Let humor work its magic!: Some parents struggle with letting their kids read Captain Underpants, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid and other edgy humorous books about kids getting in trouble Horrid Henry Series. Talk to your kids about the content, but keep in mind that kids like these books not because they want to imitate the characters' actions but because they can live vicariously through their bad behaviour. Humor is a great pathway to book loving.

Feed the favourite-author addiction: Once your kids find an author they love, they may want to read all of his or her books. Here are some good bets for favourites.

Enid Blyton: Enid Blyton is unmistakably one author sure to be on everyone’s list. the most favourite authors of all the time. Her writing style is simple, and the humor is subtle but hits the right note. Amelia Jane, Adventures of The Wishing Chair , Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair etc.

Roald Dahl: Roald Dahl’s humor was both light and dark, but always entertaining. Roald Dahl Collection.

Judith Kerr: Anna Judith Gertrud Helene Kerr OBE was a German-born British writer and illustrator whose books sold more than 10 million copies around the world. Judith Kerr Collection , Mog The Cat Collection.