For more tips, see expert advice below.
Show your baby love through reading
Reading with your baby is a great way to show your child love and attention. Even before your baby is talking, you can look at picture books together and talk about what you see. Songs and nursery rhymes are other ways babies learn words.
- Set aside a cozy place to cuddle and read every day.
- Don’t be afraid to repeat the same book over and over again.
- Point out words everywhere - on the bus, in your car, at the store.
- Visit your local library.
For more advice on reading with your baby, sign up or log in to EveryParent below.
Smart tips for getting your teen to put down that phone and READ!
Struggling to get your phone-obsessed teen to read? These tips may help:
- Let your teen read about whatever engages them – even if it’s a magazine about video games.
- It’s ok if your teen starts with the last chapter to see how a book ends, or skims chapter titles to see what sounds intriguing.
- Be free with format. Encourage them to read a graphic novel or listen to an audiobook.
- Model what you want to see by letting your teen see you read.
For more tips on raising teens, sign up or log in to EveryParent below.
Reading can help your child understand emotions
If you’re struggling with how to help your children express themselves and understand their feelings, help may lie within the pages of a book.
You can help your child develop strengths by connecting to characters in books, including friendship and kindness, says Kelly Gilbert, a reading educator with the School District of Palm Beach County.
Reading also can connect children to characters who have confidence and courage – or not – and parents can use the story to jump-start a conversation about self-esteem.