How to Create a Reading Nook
"Children are made readers in the laps of their parents." - Emilie Buchwalda
Reading with your child is the first step in early literacy.
Not only does it help them to appreciate books but it also helps them begin recognizing letters and motivates them to want to learn to read independently.
The best way to help your child develop a love of reading is to:
- read with them as much as possible
- find books on topics they enjoy
- model a love of reading - read yourself and have books around the home
Setting up a small reading nook and accessible bookshelf can also encourage your child's love of books.
How to Create a Space In Your Home To Encourage Reading
- Choose a quiet, comfortable spot free from frequent distractions, like a low traffic area of the home.
- Make the space accessible by setting up a child-sized bookshelf or put books in a basket. You want your child be able to access the books independently.
- Select a few books that your child will be able to explore independently, i.e. small board books for toddlers (little hands may rip paper pages, which is a normal thing for them to want to explore).
If your child is going through a phase where they are particularly interested in something, i.e. animals, vehicles, school, etc., look for books with similar themes. Choosing books based on their interests makes reading meaningful to the child. It tells them "you see me and what I want to learn about." - Add a comfortable chair or use a small rug and some pillows to make it cozy.
You can still foster your child’s love of reading by simply having books available and accessible to them.
In the classroom, children will read standing up, sitting on the floor, sitting on a chair… they’ll read anywhere as long as they have access to books.
Rotating Books
You probably have a ton of children’s books at home, which is fantastic.
It’s helpful to your child if you only put a select few of them out at a time.Too many books can be overwhelming and it can make hard to choose.
Remember, these are just the books you have accessible in your child’s reading area. All your other books are simply being stored elsewhere, instead of having them all on your child's bookshelf.
While this might not seem like enough, remember that it's normal for young children to want to read the same books over and over again so rotate the books based on your child’s interest level.
If there are books they aren’t reading or have lost interest in reading, swap them out for new ones but if they’ve been enjoying "Brown Bear" for what feels like weeks, don’t feel like you need to swap that book out.
Repeatedly reading the same books helps young children build language skills, comprehension, confidence, independence, observation skills, concentration and so much more.
