We all know reading is good for us, and especially good for our kids. It helps them do better in school, makes them smarter, makes them more self-reliant.
But let’s be honest. Doesn’t reading the same five books every night, month after month destroy parental brain cells? Is there a way to encourage your child to read that does not involve going comatose from repetition?
Certain children will always be more prone to cling to repetitive behaviors than others, but here are a few tips to encourage your child’s mental development without stunting your own.
GROW A BIG BOOK GARDEN
1. Use the library to rotate large numbers of books in an out of your house on a regular basis (for free!)
2. Shop on eBay and Craigslist for people giving away all of the children’s books in their house
3. Visit garage sales, and again, try to buy them in bulk.
Are you noticing a theme here? The same places to do bargain shopping are the places to do bargain book shopping.
Once you get your piles built up nicely, here are some other ideas:
PRUNE IT WISELY
4. Divide and Conquer: Never leave all of the books out at once. Just as with toys, it is best to divide them into rotations. Grab some baskets or canvas totes
5. Change Up Reading Times: Don’t just read at bedtime. Reading is a calming activity. Read before naptimes, and even, if it works for you, before mealtimes. Five minutes of reading three times a day is often easier than fifteen to thirty minutes at the end of the day when everyone is tired.
VISIT IT OFTEN
6. Let your child read to themselves, well before they can actually read. It gives them a feeling of independence and makes the connection that reading is something they do for themselves.
7. Read Yourself: seeing a parent read is a huge influence on a child. Babies and older kids love to imitate their parents.
8. Don’t put reading in a lose-lose situation. “Do you want to read or watch TV?” is not a good idea. Instead, make reading a designated part of the day.
9. Use books as a jumping off point for other kinds of play. I often grab all the stuffed animals that appear in a certain book and make a game of matching up the animals on the pages to their 3-D version. This game works well with shapes and colors, too.
10. Make books a big part of holidays and birthdays. Books are actually more expensive these days than some toys. Use special occasions like birthdays and holidays to add some really “special” books you might not otherwise buy to the collection. They will last a lot longer than a toy, and do a lot more for your child.
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Great post! Reminds me it’s time to do the toy rotation!
I’d like to add getting books on tape/cd. We listen to these in the car, as well as at home. The library usually has a pretty good selection.