As parents, we all want our children to succeed in school and even more in life. One of the best ways to help them achieve this is by encouraging a love of reading from an early age. We get it, though: learning to read doesn’t look the same for every child, and for some, it can be a real test of patience and perseverance. But as with all things, practice makes better. That’s why reading is not only essential for your child’s success, but also vital to developing critical thinking skills, increasing vocabulary, and promoting empathy and understanding of different cultures.

Building a reading-friendly environment at home is one of the best ways to encourage a love of reading in your child from the get-go and is a great tool for helping your child overcome reading difficulties. Here are some tips to help you create a reader-friendly environment at home.

Make Reading a Part of Your Daily Routine

The more you make reading a part of your daily routine, the more your child will become accustomed to it. Set aside time every day for reading, whether it’s before bedtime or during breakfast. You can also create a cozy reading nook in your home where your child can curl up with a book.

Lead by Example

Children are more likely to develop a love of reading if they see their parents reading. So make sure you set a good example by reading in front of them. You can also read books together as a family or take turns reading aloud.

Create a Reading-Friendly Environment

Create a reading-friendly environment by providing plenty of books for your child to choose from with a range of easy-to-read starter options. Make regular trips to the library or bookstore and allow your child to pick out their own books. You can also create a bookshelf in your child’s room to display their favorite books and entice them to the routine of reading.

Make Reading Fun

Make reading fun by incorporating it into other activities. For example, you can read a book and then watch the movie together. Or you can create a scavenger hunt based on a book your child has read. You can also make up silly voices for different characters while reading aloud. If your child is having trouble getting into the swing of things, start off by reading narratively engaging stories to them and see how they take to it. Once they are enraptured by an aspect of reading such as the story-telling, they’re more likely to seek out the stories on their own.

Encourage Your Child’s Interests

Encourage your child’s interests by finding books on topics they enjoy. If your child loves animals, find books about different animals or stories with animal characters. This will make reading more engaging and enjoyable for your child and will encourage them to have a self-motivating desire to learn to read.

By following these tips, you can create a reading-friendly environment at home and encourage a love of reading in your child. Remember, reading is not only important for academic success, but it also opens up a whole world of knowledge and imagination. It might seem intimidating to start the journey to literary success with your child, but the sooner you start building that reading-friendly foundation, the faster your child will overcome those obstacles along the way.