By Leslie Lindsay

For some, books are a way to escape the mundane and hop into a world full of adventure and inspiratation.  For others, books are just boring.  And for those just learning to read, it can be a chore.  It takes some time for kids to get to that level of reading where they really enjoy it–where it’s “reading to learn and not just learning to read.”

Depending on where  your child is “at” in terms of their reading abilities and interest, you may find these tips helpful:

• Read to your child daily.  Even if your kiddo can read on his own, research shows that kids who are read to often develop a greater love for the written word, increase fluency, and are more likely to seek out books on their own.  In fact, growing up I had a friend whose large family would read aloud from some of the classics after dinner when some of the children were well into their high school years.
• Let your child see you reading something for pleasure.  It’s no good if you don’t practice what you preach, right?  Did she see you devour the Hunger Games?  Does he know you read the paper every evening?  Just about anything counts as reading material–from your Good Housekeeping magazine to your Kindle…just make sure your little one knows you are a reader.
• Allow them to pick out books at the library or bookstore.  It’s empowering to be in charge of your reading selections!  When kids have access to something they are more interested in, they are more likely to engage in it.
• Follow up the book with a craft or an outing that is somehow related.  Add some food color to your breakfast eggs after reading “Green Eggs and Ham,” create some mouse-related art after reading any of the “If You Give Mouse” series to your kids.  Head to the arboretum after reading the book about trees…you get the idea!

Here are some other ideas from www.nannypro.com that you may appreciate as well:

“10 Books to Get Your Kids Reading Again.” 

http://www.nannypro.com/blog/10-books-to-get-kids-reading-again/

(Thanks to Roxanne Porter for pointing out this resource).