In the wide variety of literature on why is it important to read, from fairy tales to biographies, from motivational to nature stories, you can almost always find a story that inspires you to read. As a child, you probably were exposed to more stories than most people ever will, and many of those stories had a profound effect on you.

Maybe you still have the cards from the first book you read as a child or the first movie you ever saw. Whether through your favorite books, plays, movies or musicals, stories have an effect on children on a deep and permanent level. When reading, children absorb the ideas and characters from the book and as they grow, they begin to form their own opinions and perceptions of life and themselves.

As a result of growing and forming their opinions, children form their own beliefs about why it’s important to read. This often means that their opinions about how to learn to read are different from those of their parents and other adults. Children also have unique learning styles and it’s important to teach children about these so they can develop the skills they have.

Our Supporters

  • The Louis Calder Foundation *
  • Charles Hayden Foundation
  • The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation **
  • New York City Department of Youth and Community Development
  • The Tiger Foundation
  • Altman Foundation
  • Andor Capital Management
  • The Annenberg Foundation
  • The Clark Foundation
  • The Hearst Foundation
  • The Starr Foundation
  • The Altschul Foundation
  • Pickleball – New York City
  • Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation
  • Helena Rubenstein Foundation
  • Hypo Vereins Bank Foundation
  • John P. & Constance A. Curran Foundation

Make reading fun for children

After all, a good read is something a child looks forward to doing. With that in mind, you can take several steps to make reading a more entertaining and enjoyable experience. One way to do this is to provide them with books they love. Whether you choose to buy them individual books to read or introduce them to a series of books to read, introducing them to books that interest them is one of the best ways to make sure they continue to enjoy reading.

If you’re lucky enough to have a library, then you should know that there are literally thousands of books in the library that are perfect for children to read. One of the best ways to get them to start reading is to help them learn to read. There are several ways you can accomplish this.

Here are just a few:

  • Encourage your child to read. Children are naturally curious and if you can find a way to encourage that curiosity then you’re on the right track. Read with your child and read aloud. Children learn better this way and even if your child doesn’t understand what you’re reading to them, they’ll likely pick up the words. Additionally, you’ll find that reading in the presence of another person will spark your child’s imagination and allow them to engage their senses.
  • Pick out books that are geared towards your child’s age. Babies and toddlers need to start reading before they’ve even entered kindergarten. Older children should begin reading about halfway through their first year. By the time they are in high school, you should have a few titles picked out for them to read.
  • If you want them to start reading right away, talk to them about books they’re interested in. Make a list and bring it with you while you’re shopping. Make sure you have all of the books you think your child will like to start reading with. If they don’t have any books to choose from then you may need to encourage them to read something. This is a great way to introduce your child to reading and to stimulate their imagination.

Final Words

Once you’ve introduced your child to reading, you can probably further encourage them to read more. It’s important to know that just because they seem to be avid and happy about reading doesn’t mean that they’ve started reading yet. You can start by reading simple story books that are geared towards young children. You can also start out reading books about history and English. As your child gets older, they’ll likely want to start focusing their attention on a more serious book.