Parents are the best resource for teachers and librarians to use in order to encourage reading. Parents should read with their children for at least 20 minutes a day. Not just parents, any family member can spend time with the child by reading stories.

When my son was little, my sisters would read him stories, as well as my husband and I. Now, at fifteen, he has a college reading level, and reads at least one book every other day (We are talking 700+ page books like Harry Potter. He can read a 200 page book in a few hours). I credit his love of reading to everyone who read to him as a child, from my sisters reading fairy tales to my husband reading him the Hobbit at six months.

Also, parents need to be seen reading by the children. Children love to emulate their parents. If a parent is reading, the child wants to be reading too. Children learn by example, so parents need to be that example. Even if you only read for fifteen minute in the evening, children see that, and they learn that reading is important, even when you’re busy. Have a set time when your children are awake, and read. Pretty soon, that set reading time will become family reading time.

A great way to get your children recognizing print is to play the letter game. When driving or riding a bus, we would start on A, and go through the alphabet. The winner is the first person to get to Z. You have to tell what word you got your letter from, so no one else can use the same one. It is great way to get children to recognize words, and they don’t even realize they are learning. My son still loves this game, only now, we go backwards from Z to A to make it more challenging.

Books on tape or CD can be very beneficial to students. Especially, if it is the first book in a series. This will get the child interested in the story, and they will be more willing to read the next book in the series. When my son, Abe, was in second grade, I got him Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on CD. We already owned several of the books because my husband, my older son, Louis, and I had been following the series. Abe was so excited by the story, he did not want to wait for the next book to come from the library. So, he started reading the series. That really motivated him to read, and he hasn’t stopped since. Also, watching the movies, after they read the books, can be an incentive for reading. Abe loved it when I got him The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe after he read it for school.

Here are some videos you might like to show your kids.