Over the years, study after study has proven the importance of emphasizing reading in the lives of young children. The benefits are numerous and varied, and you can learn about just a few of them here.

You have no doubt heard the advice before, but here are seven actionable tips that you can put into practice right away. You can also start by focusing on one or two at a time and slowly add more as it works for your family.

1. Prepare reading spots

This is one of the easiest ways to make reading feel special, unique and fun. Observe and make mental notes of what helps calm your child. Maybe you light a candle together when you read, or you have a special lamp to set the mood. Maybe you have a comfy chair or hammock to read in. Whatever you prepare, ideal reading spaces in your home will naturally invite interest in reading.

Placing books within reach of your child will also invite that interest especially because they can explore and use books whenever they want. Keep a basket or bookshelf of library books next to the couch, in their bedroom, playroom and a couple in the car to look at during a drive. You’ll be amazed at how often they pick them up when they can grab them on their own.

   2. Don’t worry about finishing the book

There’s something that feels so wrong about giving up on a book. It feels like you’re teaching your child to be a quitter. But slogging through a book you hate only makes you not want to read. There is no limit to a library card, and life is too short to read boring books!

If your toddler loses interest in a picture book or your elementary-age child can’t keep up with a chapter book, ditch it and try something new. The goal is to help your child develop a love of reading, not dread getting stuck in a book they don’t like and can’t give up on.

The best way to raise a reader is to surround them with books they love. Think about what your child is interested in. Nonfiction is often a great place to start and there are books written for all interests and it’s easy to find them at all reading levels. As time goes on, you may notice your child gravitating toward a particular genre or author. Go with the flow! Their interests will change over time, but we can all remember a time when we couldn’t stop ourselves from soaking up every book we could in a series.

   3. Read a combination of old favorites and new titles

Kids love repetition, so it’s nice to keep cycling through the books they love (and hey, it’s a plus when you can read something with your eyes closed). But be sure to grab a stack of new books in their library to rotate in with those old favorites so they get used to trying new books and you grow your child’s repertoire.

Nothing makes children feel like confident readers as much as seeing books they recognize at the bookstore, library or classroom. The more books they’re expose them to, the more likely they are to see books they’re familiar with in different places.

There are lots of great ways to keep your collection fresh without breaking the bank. Visit your local library, check out second-hand bookstores, have a book swap with friends and keep an eye out for Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood.

   4. Don’t rush into older books too soon

It’s so tempting to jump into chapter books as soon as possible, especially when you can’t wait to show them your favorite stories from childhood. But picture books have so much great vocabulary and wide range of topics — you’ll want to savor those as long as you can. And even as they do graduate to older books, keep picture books in the mix!

   5. Let your child do something with their hands while they listen

Especially if you’re reading a chapter book, pull out some Legos, Play-Doh, watercolors, or a fidget toy. They’ll probably listen to you read aloud until your voice goes out.

   6. Read aloud even after they can read to themselves

Regardless of their age, reading aloud to your child every day will make a huge impact. Babies begin to learn early language by hearing a parent read. Preschoolers increase their vocabulary, which helps them excel in the classroom. Elementary-aged children can listen to your voice to learn about fluency, pace, inflection and emphasis as they begin to read aloud. Even preteens and young teenagers stand to benefit from reading aloud!

It’s wonderful when your child is finally able to read to themselves and that independence can be so fun for children as they develop their reading skills. But, they will still love to listen to you read chapter books aloud to them, or even be just as excited to read new picture books. If you have multiple kids, keep in mind the opportunity for everyone to spend quality time together and strengthen relationships through group reading.

   6. Make it fun

This is the biggest secret and maybe the biggest challenge to bringing up book lovers: make reading time fun! Try to make it seem like less of a chore or ultra-structured or prescriptive. Let them see you enjoying books yourself, allow them choose books at the library, read and re-read favorites, ditch books that no one likes. If you make reading a fun, enjoyable time to connect, laugh and chat together, your children will almost certainly enjoy books too.

Another idea is to make an event out of reading. Take them to author meet n’ greets and events through the local bookstore. Meeting authors as young kids is like meeting celebrities and it’s so inspiring at a young age. It also reinforces their relationship with that specific book for years to come. Having a signed copy to bring home will feel like such a powerful memento of that reading memory in their life.

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