Loving adults who read themselves and read aloud, model strong, lifelong reading practices for the children in their lives.
To encourage a love of reading, take children to the library, browse at a local bookstore, or go on a walk to find Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood. Research shows that when children choose their own books, they make greater gains in reading skills, think of reading as a more enjoyable experience, and remember more of what they learn when they are reading books they want to read, regardless of reading level.
Create a language rich environment for children by singing, talking, reading and playing with words throughout your day. Bring something for children to read everywhere you go. As you travel through your day with your child read the signs, advertisements on trucks, text on cereal boxes, or whatever else you might see.
Share books in your first language and tell children the stories of your childhood. This can help with language development in both English and your home language.
Studies have found that physical books are better for children, especially with their reading comprehension skills. Turning the pages of a book can help strengthen the memory of the story.
Reading with your children (at any age!) is powerful. It provides meaningful bonding opportunities, expands their vocabularies, creates positive associations around reading and learning, develops empathy, allows them to understand their own worlds better, and more.
