Want to raise a child who loves reading? Daniel Willingham, author of the book Raising Kids Who Read recommends making reading “the most appealing thing a child can do.”
In an interview with NPR, the author said that the reason to raise a reader shouldn’t be to increase school performance or to help them make more money later in life. The real reason should be to raise a person that appreciates books and the worlds you can learn from them. Here is an excerpt from the interview:
You should model reading, make reading pleasurable, read aloud to your kid in situations that are warm and create positive associations. But also setting a tone where our family is one where we like to learn new things. We like to learn about the world, and a big part of that is reading. Developing a sense in the child that I am in a family of readers before the child can even read.
Former GalleyCat Editor Jason Boog also has excellent tips for parents looking to raise bookworms. In his book Born Reading, Boog outlines step-by-step instructions and advice for cultivating reading in kids from birth.