Give your children the love of books for life

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In a survey of 2,558 American families done by YouGov, they found that only 51% of children enjoyed reading books for fun, and 12% said that they didn’t like reading at all. Yet reading is an essential skill for children and comes with some massive benefits, and not just educational ones. Reading improves imagination and creativity, it increases concentration and discipline, and is also a very unique and special way of creating a strong bond with your child. This is why it is so important to encourage your children to read books and stories when they are young, so that they can develop a love of books that lasts a lifetime. 

Bedtime stories

Only 33% of parents read a bedtime story with their child every day, yet this is a great opportunity for some to have some valuable family time. Reading together is a bonding experience that will never be forgotten, and together you can enjoy the stories from your own childhood as well as some brand new ones. Just before going to bed is the ideal time for a story and creating a reading routine will help your little one wind down and relax before they go to sleep. Get under the soft blanket, tuck in and enjoy going into fantastical worlds with fun and interesting characters. It won’t be long before you look forward to story time as much as your child. 

Listen to audiobooks

Books and stories don’t have to be something you only do when you’re sitting down. Listening to audiobooks and dramas is a great way you can get your child to appreciate books. You can listen together in the car, on the school run, or when you are going on vacation. There are some great book adaptations on radio stations like PRS and NPR, or you could check out some of the amazing children’s story podcasts on Spotify and Apple Music. You can also join the library online and make use of free services like Libby and Borrowbox that have a massive selection of children’s audiobooks. 

Graphic Novels

When you are reading, graphic novels and comics definitely do count! Just because a story has pictures and illustrations doesn’t make it any less worthy, and there are some great series that can encourage your child to start independently reading. Dogman, Captain Underpants, The Wimpy Kid and The 13-Storey Treehouse books are all incredibly popular and great fun to read. You can also head into the world of Marvel and DC superheroes, enjoying the stories of Wonder Woman, Spiderman and Thor. Many of the graphic novels have strong moral storylines about overcoming evil and helping others. 

Helping your child to love books is easy, and it doesn’t matter whether they are listening to or reading the stories, it’s all about going on an adventure. Books can open up a whole new world to children and bring you together as a family.