Did you put off the summer booklist for the last minute? Do you have an active student that finds reading dull? Here are a few tips to help kids find their love for reading and stay reading for life. It may take a little work from the grownups in their lives, but the reward is worth the work.

Start Young. “[R]eading books with a child beginning in early infancy can boost vocabulary and reading skills four years later, before the start of elementary school,” published in a study by the Pediatric Academic Societies.

Read Often! If kids don’t see reading happening, they don’t know it as an enjoyable experience. You can read anything, the news, a book, a magazine. Discuss what you are reading with them encourage them to pick up something to read along with you.

Children reading

Choose Wisely. Let kids choose what they want to read but guide them toward age appropriate selections. Whatever the genre, fiction, fairy tales, graphic novels, nonfiction, there are great choices for every age. Where kids find trouble is if they choose a book that is just a bit out of reach or has content that is above their maturity level. Parents and educators can easily guide readers to a better choice to avoid kids getting discouraged.

Read Out Loud. Everyone loves a good story, and everyone loves to listen to a good story. The art of oral storytelling goes back for centuries and is the basis for many classics, but you don’t have to make up a story. Read a classic to your child at bedtime, read a popular novel as a family with everyone taking a turn. It will strengthen your skills and is wonderful quality time.

These are just a few easy tips to encourage a love of reading. There are many more and lots of research on how and why reading is important. Fathom has hundreds of books to get kids excited about reading. Check out our library and the amazing feature in the free demo.

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