Holly Hartman
There are many habits we practice each day with children. All kids need regular meals, exercise, and bedtimes to grow strong bodies and minds. Reading is the same kind of healthy habit as food and sleep. There are three things you need to build a habit: a reminder, a routine, and a reward.
Reminder: A reminder, or trigger, is something that tells your brain to do the same thing you’ve done before. Time and Place are good triggers for creating a reading habit.
Pick a time you can stick to, like after a meal. You can build a great reading routine with just minutes each day. Start slowly, by committing to read with your child for 5 minutes every day at around the same time.
Choose a spot for reading that is cozy and inviting for both of you. Keep books in sight and always available to your child.
Routine: The second part to building a reading habit is the routine, or the behavior itself. Think about the routines you already have with your child - bedtime and morning activities are often the ones your child starts to count on being the same every day. Adding books to routines you already practice with your child makes reading a powerful and comforting habit that they will carry into their school years.
Reward: Let’s not forget the third part of habit building, the reward! Reading needs to become something both you and your child look forward to and make time for.
For your child, the most powerful reward you can give is your undivided attention, and that’s exactly what reading together can provide. When you share books, focus on the closeness and conversation.
For you, the reward will be a stronger relationship with your child and a daily opportunity to learn and talk about your child’s feelings and understanding of the world. Many families also find that reading routines lead to more trust, better emotional control, and fewer meltdowns.
Tips for Sharing Books
When you pick up a book to read with your child, relax and enjoy the time together. There is no right or wrong way, and no time limit.
Talk about the words and pictures, share feelings and ideas, and let yourself be silly. Entertain yourself as well as your child!
Follow your child’s lead. If they’re done with a book before the last page, so be it. If they want to read back to front, why not? If they want to walk around you in circles while you read, give it a try.
If you are not a strong reader yourself, don’t worry! Sharing books together needs enthusiasm more than reading skill, and you may find that your own enjoyment of reading grows along with your child’s.
Books and screens are not the same. Physical books are real objects your child can control. They are always the same size, shape, color, and weight, and they stay where you left them. Books have no hidden agenda, and no bells and whistles designed to create addictive behavior. Use screens sparingly, if at all, with your young child.
Remember that building a habit of reading has nothing to do with learning how to read. The habit you are building with your child is simply one of choosing to read for pleasure. Children who have never experienced reading as valuable and fun are less likely to try to learn to read. Make the goal for your child to learn to love reading and let the teaching come later.
Happy Reading!