3 ways to instill in your child a love of reading

1. Read aloud (and make it fun)

The sooner you start reading to your child, the better. Although the newborn does not understand what you are saying, he can pick up the rhythm and intonation of the voice. In perspective, his vocabulary will becomeParent–child book reading across early childhood and child vocabulary in the early school years: Findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children / SAGE Journals richer than those of peers to whom parents did not read aloud. This is because the child will hear more variants of different words. Also reading teachReading fiction and reading minds: the role of simulation in the default network / National Library of Medicine understand others better.

Even if you are reading to a baby, do not approach this matter formally. Engage artistic abilities, and not just monotonously pronounce the text. If there are pictures in the book, show them when you read about the events they illustrate. An older child can be asked questions about what he has read - this will allow him to get involved in the process, activate memory and imagination. For example, ask which character he liked and why, offer to tell how he would have acted in the place of the character.

2. Consider the interests of the child

When choosing books, start from the interests of the child: this way he will understand that literature is a good tool to learn about things that fascinate him. For example, a kid who loves animals will love Sven Nordqvist's fairy tales about old man Petson and his kitten Findus. And to the younger schoolboy who dreams adventure, you can offer "Journey to the Dinosaurs" by Gerald Durrell or a cycle about Alice Selezneva by Kira Bulychev. Give your child easy access to books. If you can't buy them often, go to the library together.

Encourage your child to choose their own literature. Don't worry if he's only interested in comics, children's magazines, or Harry Potter, and not Dostoevsky's novels - the main thing is that he basically reads. You can gently encourage an interest in other literature, but you should not force him to read something for which he is not yet ready.

3. Keep an eye on your child

On average modern people handleToo Much Information, Too Little Time: How the Brain Separates Important from Unimportant Things in Our Fast‑Paced Media World / Frontiers Media up to 74 GB of information per day. Scientists considerToo Much Information, Too Little Time: How the Brain Separates Important from Unimportant Things in Our Fast‑Paced Media World / Frontiers Mediathat 500 years ago an educated person consumed the same amount in a lifetime. Children who use smartphones and access the Internet from an early age also face a large amount of data. Books compete with cartoons, TikTok videos, mobile games - it's no wonder a child has a hard time choosing what to read. Try to limit the use of entertainment gadgets. So, children 2-5 years old are desirable conductScreen Time and Children / The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the screen up to an hour a day on weekdays and up to three hours on weekends.

Add more interactive content to your reading. For example, in the fall, offer your child books dedicated to this season. You can follow the heroes to bake apple pies, collect herbarium and decorate the house. Look for coloring books with characters from books, come up with games based on your child's favorite works - for example, on "The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends" or "Through the Looking Glass". Show children that literature can be fun.