A Passion For Reading

I think, as parents, we often have those one or two things that we would love our children to be interested in, or talented at. I know I do.

First and foremost, I want my children to be healthy and happy, which probably goes without saying. Beyond that, I want them to have a positive outlook on life, the confidence to have a go at new things and not let fear stop them from doing anything.

I then want them to have a passion for reading. I know, I know, this doesn’t surprise you in the least.

I love books, and I believe it’s a great hobby to have. It’s a hobby for life, as no matter what your age, books will be there for you. It can be free and very inexpensive – or in my case, it may cost a little it each and every month..! It can transport you into a different world and allow you to escape and switch off.

More than all of these things, though, I believe that an enjoyment of reading sets you up to do well in school, in subjects across the board, which in turn, helps you in later life. Reading underpins all other learning, and I believe reading also equips you for writing and being able to better articulate your thoughts and feelings.

Boo reading Bubble Trouble

Fortunately, my 5 year old adores reading. She reads well above her age, and is always keen to go shopping for more books – she’s so like me! My 2 year old enjoys his bedtime stories, and I’ve noticed that recently, he’s been bringing books to me, or his sister, to be read to in the day. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this means he’ll enjoy it, too. I don’t want to force it with them, I want to encourage the desire and excitement to read, and then help them to be able to do it themselves.

There are so many things that you can do to encourage early literacy. From the simple things when the children are small, such as reading bedtime stories from an early age and making it an enjoyable part of the day, regular trips to the library from toddlerhood (you can find your local library here) and filling your home with books. Then once your child starts school, there will no doubt be reading schemes in place, so offering support weekly by listening to your child read, and then if further help is needed, working closely with an experienced tutor, such as Fleet Tutors. The National Literacy Trust is also a great source of help and support, with plenty of ideas and initiatives. Plenty of help is at hand to encourage this wonderful habit.

Do your kids like to read?

Disclosure: Written in collaboration with Fleet Tutors

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8 thoughts on “A Passion For Reading”

  1. What a beautiful picture. I’ve read to my kids every night before bed ever since they were babies. Luckily, I now have two avid readers (9 and 10 about to turn 11). They enjoy diving into the magic of books every night before bed! I agree with you, it’s something that they will be able to go to and enjoy through out their lives.

    Alina

  2. I totally agree with you about how reading underpins all other areas of learning and I truly hope that my little boy will grow into a book worm. I have always enjoyed reading and that ability to escape into a fictional world, and I think that my love of reading has definitely had a massive impact on my life! xx

  3. This is such a wonderful, warming post to read –
    Reading IS so important, in developing concentration, independence, imagination and vocabulary as well as the more obvious benefits –
    it’s such a lovely picture of your daughter, engrossed in her book!
    My oldest child, at that age, didn’t enjoy reading herself – but she enjoyed being read to, and in time, when she was ready, her reading developed. My youngest daughter has always loved books – even as a pre-reader, she would sit for hours looking at pictures – and loved ‘reading’ her favourite stories, which we’d read together so many times that she knew them off by heart, aloud.
    Emma 🙂

  4. This is such a great post. We love reading too. We’re at our local library every week, plus I think that kids’ books are main non-essential expense at the moment (scrap that, I think they should fit into the essential expense category). 🙂

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