7 Tips for Parents Who Want to Raise a Bookworm

I'm a bookworm...

If you knew any of my family members or friends in real life, and you ask them for a word to describe me. I'd guarantee that 8 out of 10, they'd tell you I'm a bookworm.

No joke, I bring a book with me everywhere I go. And lately, thanks to smartphones, I have a literal bookshelf in my ebook reading app.

So if I tell people I want my first child to grow up loving books (or at least appreciate books and literature), they're not really surprised.

And I get that kids are different and have their own unique interests, but the way I see it, there's certainly nothing wrong with introducing books to a child at an early age. There's nothing wrong about encouraging your children to love reading. It's like applying the Dicker Reading method everyday with your child.

7 Tips for Raising a Bookworm

Learning to read is a skill. And a very essential one no matter what generation you belong to. Introducing the art of reading to children very early on can give them all sorts of advantages.

And later on in life, when people start praising your child for having a big vocabulary, you can give yourself a pat on the back for having done a great job. For giving your baby that encouragement to pick up a book and enjoy the written words found within.

But before the praises and the grand literary awards (not bad to dream), you need to provide your kids with oodles of positive early reading experiences. Because if they grow up learning and knowing that reading is a wonderful experience, they're going to want to learn it themselves.

#1 Practice reading aloud every day

For your child's future reading success, reading aloud is the best thing you can do. Because when you commit to reading to your child everyday, you're actually building their:

• Reading fluency
• Background knowledge
• Vocabulary
• Pronunciation
• Listening skills

Reading a book aloud to your child every bedtime is a great idea. And if you're too tired to do it at the end of the day, try and start your morning off with a read-aloud.

#2 Create a print-rich environment

To encourage your child to read, surround yourself and your house with things to read. Some ideas you can use and incorporate in your house:

• Place book baskets in every room.
• Try enabling closed captioning when watching TV.
• Label items inside the house.
• Provide access to reading materials.

#3 Pay a visit to public libraries or bookstores

If you're fond of bookstores and public libraries, take your children with you. Some kids appreciate getting out of the house to take walks. So grab this chance to pay a trip to the local bookstore or your public library.

#4 Let your child pick books

Yes, your kids won't have the same tastes as you. They won't choose the same books that you would all the time.

So if you want to continue fostering a love of books in your children, give them the freedom to pick the children's books that they love. Encourage them to read what they love. With the right adult supervision, of course.

#5 Read it all over again

The world of children isn't as appealing to us adults. But whenever your child goes up to you, asking to read them Mr. Dinosaur's adventures for what could be the umpteenth time, don't say no.

Children learn and process information through repetition. So don't feel discouraged when you notice your child reading and rereading the same book every day, over and over again.

#6 Focus on the book, not just on the development

Everyone's so competitive these days. And the pressure for children to be able to read early on is endless. But this constant pressure to learn how to read makes reading not as appealing for kids anymore. If your kids see reading as a job rather than a pastime they can enjoy, children won't like to read!

The solution? Focus on enjoying great books together. Appreciate the story, talk about the characters, point out interesting places, etc.

Yes, it's good to focus and pay attention to your child's development. But don't overdo it. Strike a healthy balance between reading a fun story and learning reading comprehension and all that jazz.

#7 Create an area for quiet reading

The importance of reading aloud can't be emphasized enough as it is. But you have to know that silent reading is just as important too.

So set a time of the day with your kids where you encourage them to read quietly on their own, where they digest what they learn. Even if it's just a moment where all they do is stare at pictures.

Encourage that behavior. It's setting them up for greatness in the long run.

Be a Reading Role Model

The best way to teach and foster a behavior is to practice it yourself. Well, if you're already a bookworm, this should be no problem. At some point in your parenting life, your kids will run into you reading your own book.

And the best part of all?

They ask you questions about what you're reading too.

Children learn by watching you. So be a reading role model!