{new series} creating a literacy rich home– part 1: 10 reasons to teach the love of reading

I love books. 

I want you to love books.

I want your kids to love books.

Which is why I’m going to do a ten part series on how to create a literacy rich home.

In this series I will show you: 

• why teaching your child the love of reading is one of the most important things you can do
• the essentials of building a home library on budget
• our favorite books for kids (infancy-eight years old)
• teaching kids how to read before school (some very practical tips from the real world)
• how to organize & store books
• how you can encourage reluctant readers
• role of media & literacy

Today, let’s start with,

teach the love of reading —
it is one of the most important things you can do.

I’m a lazy parent.

What I mean is, I have no desire to spend my days picking up after my kids, entertaining them every minute, or serving them hand & foot.

(But you probably already knew that from my how to raise and independent child post.)

For that reason, I think of all sorts of ways I can teach my kids how to be self sufficient from an early age.

Which is one of the reasons I feel so strongly about teaching my kids not just how to read, but how to read & love it. Because if they can read, if they love reading, less work for me! Reading is the best kind of babysitter/entertainer.

I’ve thought a lot about why teaching kids the love reading is so important. I like lists.

So here’s a list of ten reasons why teaching the love of reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. 

1. Reading teaches people how to think. I want my kids to be thinkers.
2. Reading opens up worlds, experiences, & insights into a kid’s life that they could never experience otherwise.
3. If a child can learn to love books, they will never be bored.
4. Literacy is one of the best way to combat ignorance. I want my kids to not only not be ignorant, but to be open minded & thoughtful. Reading will help accomplish that.
5. I want my kids to be able to not just survive, but to thrive in our ever changing, ultra-competitive world. If they aren’t highly-literate, creative & critical thinkers, they don’t stand much of a chance. Reading will give them a leg up.
6. Knowing how to read a book is kind of like knowing how to read people, places, situations. If you can read a text, thoughtfully as well as critically, you are much better equipped to deal with complex interpersonal situations & real world dilemmas.
7. Reading in childhood is not the same as reading as an adult. There’s something magical about reading books as a kid, before the loss of innocence sets in (adolescence). I want my kids to experience the magic of reading while yet (relatively) unscathed by the world.
8. In an age of quick sound bites & snippets of information, I want my kids to learn the satisfaction of reading long, uninterrupted texts.
9. Good readers = good writers. Good writers = good communicators. Good communicators = successful people. Therefore, good readers = successful people.
10. There is joy in reading just to read. That has so much value just on it’s own.

// 

Other posts in this series: 

Part 2:  How to build your child’s home library on a budget + 15 must-own books
Part 3: Why you need to read to your baby + 10 fave baby books
Part 4: Tips for reading with toddlers + 15 best books for toddler 

You might also be interested in: 

how to teach your child the love of learning