Raising a Bookworm: Fun ways to encourage a love of reading
Read Across America Day is the perfect time to celebrate the joy of books and inspire a lifelong love of reading in children! Fostering a love of books from an early age helps children develop critical language, communication, and comprehension skills.
Check out these strategies to make reading more fun and engaging that encourage your child(ren) to read more and aid you in making reading an exciting part of everyday life!
At The Nest Schools, we celebrate Read Across America day each year by celebrating Dr. Seuss’ stories, encouraging our students and staff to dress up as their favorite characters, and by creating special spaces and activities that make reading fun and engaging!
Encouraging a love of reading at an early age helps set the foundation for future learning success. Take time to explore new stories, engage in playful literacy activities, and celebrate the magic of books together!
Don’t forget that Buddy has a growing library of book recommendations in the “Buddy’s Book Club” blog posts, we recently put together a YouTube playlist with read alouds of the books in Buddy’s library!
Make Reading a Daily Habit
Consistency is key! Try to build reading into your daily routine—whether it’s a bedtime story, a quiet afternoon book break, or a story time session during breakfast. Even just 10–15 minutes a day can make a big impact on language development and vocabulary growth.
Create a Cozy Reading Nest/Nook
Children love having their own special space, and a reading nest/nook can make books feel extra inviting. Set up a cozy corner with pillows, a soft blanket, and a small bookshelf filled with their favorite stories. Adding a reading lamp or string lights can make it a magical place to curl up with a book!
Be a Reading Role Model
Children love to imitate what they see! When they see you enjoying books, they’ll be more likely to develop a love for reading too. Set aside time to read together and let them see you reading for pleasure—whether it’s a novel, magazine, or newspaper.
Bring Books to Life
Make reading interactive and engaging by acting out stories, using funny voices for characters, or incorporating movement. If a book talks about animals, pretend to be those animals! If a story features a baking scene, try making a simple treat together afterward.
Visit the Library Together
Libraries are a wonderful resource for discovering new books and participating in engaging literacy programs. Many libraries offer interactive story times, puppet shows, and early literacy activities that help spark a love for books and storytelling.
Let Your Child Choose Their Books
Children are more likely to engage with books they’re genuinely interested in. Let them pick their own stories, whether it’s a classic picture book, a silly rhyming story, or a nonfiction book about dinosaurs or outer space! Their excitement over a topic will naturally lead them to want to read more.
Celebrate Read Across America Day
Celebrate Read Across America Day by having a special reading picnic with snacks and books! If the weather is warm where you are, have your picnic outside! If it’s cold where you are, build a fort inside and have your picnic there! (For more detailed ideas on how to have your very own family reading picnic, read our family activity post about it here!) Other fun ways to celebrate is to dress up as a favorite book character, swap or trade books with friends and to write and illustrate your own stories!