You buy books for your children.  You give them, or force them, to sit down and read them.  You encourage reading, there’s no doubt about it, but do you actually set the example?  

Studies have shown that those parents that read and allow their children to see them reading have children that read.  Just like many other things in your life, reading is something your children will learn by many times by watching what you do.  If you never pick up a book, often, they’ll only do it when they have to. Set the example and read.

Books For Children And Your Role

There are many ways that you can set the example of reading with your children.  Here are a few examples to help make that happen.

•    Begin reading as a group.  For one hour a week, everyone gets to come into the living room, turn off the television, silence phone, remove other distractions and read together.  You could read a very good book out loud together or you could read silently with each family member having their own book.  

Whatever you do, read.

•    Go to the library together and each person pick out their own favorite type of book.  You can encourage this by letting them see you find your favorite types of books and to get them read.  Make sure that you actually read them when you bring them home, though!

•    Make it interesting.  Each person in the family picks their favorite book of all time and then gets to switch it with the favorite of someone else’.  Mom and dad have to play a long too. This works well for children that are older, but for younger ones, encourage helpful to pick your favorite stories from when you were a child.

•    Make it rewarding.  Make sure that everyone has a chance to earn something for completing their book.  Whether it is dinner out or just a fun movie for the family, when everyone completes a book, celebrate by sharing the stories you enjoyed reading on your outing. This make reading even more fun because everyone get to tell the rest of the family what the story was about.

If you set the example and read with your child, chances are excellent that she’ll keep reading long after you stop.  That’s a good thing and by giving them the right children’s books, a child will excel in various areas of life.

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