Teaching Little Ones to Love Literature

Parents with kids know that kids have a complicated relationship with books. Some books get all dog-eared and worn with use, while some sit on shelves looking as new as the day it was bought. To get kids to love books more, it is best to understand its value and focus on what kids need.

Reading a book with your kids is a good start. Sometimes the reason why kids don’t get interested in a certain book is because the font is too small. Many kids don’t want to read books in small print, and usually relate it to more “boring adult books,” so spending some time to read to your kids can do wonders. It lets them realize that they can’t judge a book by its font, plus it lets you have quality time with your kids too.

When kids read books, they learn new words and get a better grasp on the fundamentals of language, and if they can realize this, they can learn to love books more. When kids realize the wealth of knowledge they can get from books, it fills them with pride, which in turn can spur them on to read more books. By answering your child’s questions about a new word, or about the moral of a story, explain it to them carefully and once they understand, praise them for learning something new.

Another thing is to choose books that are age-appropriate. If you notice a book from your child’s shelf being left unused, try to flip through its pages and see if it’s age-appropriate. You might be surprised that even if the cover looks attractive for young kids, the content is targeted at young teens and older kids.

The best way to avoid this is to ensure that the book your kid has access to appeals to them and is right for their age. One thing that might attract young kids to books is the illustrations. Well-illustrated books give children something to latch onto to get their own imaginations going. Illustrations also teach kids how to learn new words or situations through context.

When adults talk of traveling to faraway places through books, kids can’t imagine doing the same with a book without pictures. But once kids have something to start with, a picture or an illustration, imagination takes over and they start to understand what it is to “travel” through books.

Instead of letting your kids waste summer away with video games, why not bring them to Book Rack in Arcadia and introduce them to the wonders of literature? There is a summer sale from June 14th through August 31st at the Book Rack where all used children’s books will be half-off the store price, while new books will be 20% off.

Book Rack is located at 204 S. First Ave., Arcadia. To find out more about Book Rack, visit http://bookrackarcadia.com or call (626) 446-2525 for more details.