Create a Culture of Reading in Your Home

Have you ever been swept up by the beauty of “the white way of delight” with Anne Shirley? Have you found amazement with the power, strength, and love of Aslan? Have you envisioned yourself on the banks of Plum Creek with Laura Ingalls and family? There is nothing like being swept away into a book, the kind of swept away where you forget your responsibilities and what time of day it is.

Even beyond being swept away in your imagination into another world, there are practical reasons for a love of reading as well. There is so much to be learned through books. You can identify birds in your yard, find out what life used to be like in a certain area, learn to preserve food; the sky's the limit with what a person can learn through books.  

Have you ever loved a book so much you just HAD to find someone else who had read it to discuss it with? You loved it so much that your friend just HAD to read it too! Have you been on the receiving end of that kind of excitement over a book? Did it make you want to read it immediately? THAT is what we want to pass on to our kids! We want to exude the love of reading and literature so much that it is infectious, and they can’t help but want to be a part of it. 

Your own personal love of literature will be contagious and a huge aspect of creating a culture of reading in your home; however, there are practical steps you can take as well.

Make It Inviting

Children are inquisitive. If you leave anything lying around in their sight line, they’re going to go through it. Part of creating a culture of reading in your home is to take advantage of that trait. If they’re going to go through what is in their line of sight, get books into their line of sight! You can have books dispersed throughout your house without having it be messy (if that is a concern for you). Little baskets are great options to hold a few books and still look cute around your house. 

Some great places to leave baskets of books laying around are

• In the washroom (You know they’re going to look at something while on the toilet!)
• Right by their bed (for before falling asleep or when they’re waking up)
• By the couch
• On the coffee table (You can spread them out to catch the eye.)

Once you’ve got the books out and ready, make sure you give the kids a chance to be bored or quiet and reach for them!

Make the Time

Whether it is giving them a chance to be bored and explore the books you’ve provided or giving them designated reading time per day, making the time for children to encounter and experience the stories is of utmost importance. 

Each family should put this time into their day in a way that make sense to them, but some common designated reading times are 

• After lunch. This gives everyone a quiet time even when they outgrow naps. This is beneficial for kids and parents. (Hot Tip: I also read during quiet reading time!)
• Before bed. After you read out loud to them, give them a few minutes afterward to read quietly in their bed to settle for bedtime. 
• While you are doing one-on-one schooling with a sibling. This way they are quiet and not distracting anyone else. 

One important aspect to increasing time spent reading is decreasing time spent in front of a screen. If your kids are currently using screens frequently, this may be an adjustment, but it is a worthwhile one. If you are unsure if, or why, you should decrease your kids’ screen time usage, this is a very informative book to read on what screens do to kids' brains. 

Make It Relational

Reading out loud to your kids is an excellent way to bond and develop a mutual interest together.  For some children, it will be the time spent with the parent that draws them to reading together. Cuddle up in a cozy spot with some snacks and share a good book. Do the voices. Put energy into it and pull them in with your excitement! Pause to wonder together. Make predictions together over cliffhangers. Their energy and excitement toward a book will feed off yours. 

Bring that chapter book you are reading together everywhere you go! It helps pass the time in the car, waiting for doctor appointments, waiting for food at a restaurant, or anywhere else you happen to find yourself with time to pass. Reading together at meals and around a campfire can be some beautiful family memories. 

If you wonder how to get your children to sit still for read alouds, find some tips here. 

What Books Should I Use?

That is a great question but one you really will need to answer for yourself. This will be different depending on your children’s interests. If you’re leaving books around to peak their interest, you want to make sure some books play into that. Choose a variety of books on topics they are interested in. Use this opportunity to expand their horizons as well. Make sure to include some nonfiction books with beautiful illustrations, maybe some books about local wildlife or plants, and topics you are learning about in school. Try different things to see what they like. You can leave some picture books, some graphic novels, and some short chapter books. Switch it up often to keep them interested. 

Your local public library is a great place to utilize for finding these books. That way you are not out of money if they are not interested in all of them. The library is also another way to wet kids' appetites for books. Make a regular outing out of the library and let them pick out books they are interested in. 

In the end, much of developing a culture of reading in your home is going to come down to you. Model your love of reading. Let your kids see you engulfed in a book. Draw them into a book together. Show your excitement, and you’ll see them catch it too!

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our themes page that has a new theme topic added every month!