How to Teach Children to Love Books

I learned to read in the first grade by my teacher, Mrs. Gilman, who was tall and dressed in a blouse and skirt--down to the knees--wearing black pumps and bright red lipstick. Mrs. Gilman taught me to read when I was six, and it unlocked the door to another world for me; a world of interesting characters where anything and everything was possible. One thing was certain: reading, back then, was never treated as a chore.

Reading was never turned into work in my childhood, neither in school or at home. Mrs. Gilman never asked me to write book reports; I don't remember a single teacher in elementary school asking me to write a book report. At home books were treated as special gifts to receive, especially from my father, on birthdays and holidays; books were highly valued. We even had a library in our house: a room that was dedicated entirely to books. I developed a great love of reading back then, and I disappeared into the world of books quite often.

In the current school system, the spirit of reading is lost and reading becomes another subject to be tested on. Children are also taught to read too early, which hinders their chances of falling in love with reading for its own sake. Reading quality books to our children when they are young is also important as it will help them to develop a taste for good literature. We can read out-loud to our children in the evening, or whenever we're able to set time aside during the day. We can also model good reading habits for our children as children love to do the things their parents love doing.

These are a few of the ways to raise children who will grow up to become avid and competent readers; people who love to read for the sake of reading.