Raising a reader starts at birth. The very first times you read to your baby have an impact that can last a lifetime.

Instilling a love of books and reading in your kids from an early age can help them be successful in school and adulthood.

While raising my 3 kids I’ve definitely tried different things to get them to love reading and books. Each of my kids are different, like all kids are. Their taste in books and love of reading are each different.

It’s definitely harder for my ADHD child to embrace the love of reading. But, we’ve found ways to turn him into a fan of books too, which I’ll share below!

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How to Raise Passionate Readers

When it comes to raising kids who are passionate readers there is a lot more than just buying them shelves full of wonderful books. As parents there is a lot more we can be doing to gently guide them towards a love of books.

Here are tips to get your kids started on a path to becoming passionate readers:

• Get them a library card– Library cards are like gold to book lovers. I remember going to the library as a young child and I still love to go today. E-books are a great resource, but there is something about going to the library and picking out books. It’s a free resource that not only has books, but also enriching book related activities for your children.

Find out how you can get FREE books for your kids!

• Let Their Likes Guide Them– Kids are growing into individuals with their own unique tastes. Have you ever bought your child a ton of books only to find they never read them? Instead of a dislike for reading they may just not like the content. Our son loves Pokemon and Minecraft. So, we try to get him exciting adventure and fantasy books. We also throw in a lot of books on Minecraft. There are also Pokemon chapter books and manga. This pulls him into reading, making him excited to go to the library or bookstore to pick out another Pokemon or Minecraft book.
  
• Create Real Life Book Experiences– Help your kids connect the books they are reading to real life experiences. You can do this by asking them questions while you read. Find out how they relate to the book or give them a real life example. With some books there are also opportunities to take them to real life locations to see where the book took place. Another way is to read a book that has a movie. While watching the movie ask your kids how it compared to the book.

What tips do you have for turning kids into lifelong readers? I would love to hear from you in the comments below!