5 Tips to Make Reading a Family Affair

One of the best ways to encourage kids to read is by making it a family activity. Here are five tips from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre on how to make reading a pleasant pastime for everyone.

1. Read with your children at bedtime. Making reading a part of the regular bedtime routine provides a great opportunity for parents and children to talk. Sharing a story can lead to discussions about your child’s day, their feelings and emotions, current events and more.

2. Make regular visits to the library a part of your routine. Get library cards for every member of the family and let kids take the lead in checking out books. Pick some books together, but also let kids choose a book or two on their own.

3. Create a quiet space for reading at home. Creating a quiet reading space inside the home where a child can enjoy long periods of uninterrupted reading is a great way to raise a book lover. Make sure to make it a big enough space for mom or dad to join.

4. Bring books to life. Children love pictures, and reading can be a great way to introduce kids to art. Read a picture book and then have kids design their own cover for the book or encourage children to make their own drawings or paintings for their favorite stories.

5. Introduce books to children in unique ways. There are so many ways to introduce children to new stories and authors. In addition to reading new books, watch or listen to authors read their own books online or through audio books from the local library. Also, grade one students can get a free copy of Andrea Lynn Beck’s picture book, Good Morning, Canada as part of the TD Grade One Book Giveaway, Canada’s largest free book distribution program for school-aged children.

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