When you have kids are you going to make them read?

[khudecek]

You won't have to force them to read. The schools will do it for you if you live in Kansas. They have this program called Accelerated Reading and it pretty much forces them into it. Frankly, both of my kids are A students, including reading and this AR is driving them crazy. They both hate it and think it's stupid.

If you aren't familiar with AR and how it works, it's really pretty simple. The kids read a book, take a test and get points for the questions they get correct. If they score 60% or lower then they don't get any points. The problem is, some of these point goals are so high, it's very difficult if not impossible for the kids to attain them. There just isn't enough time in the day.

[bprovost14]

Absolutely! I am a teacher and I know first-hand the difference reading can make in the life of a child. Many children view reading as something that has to be done with a book that they don't enjoy. They often forget that they can read magazines or other types of literature that may spark their interest!

[ALynnPowers]

I don't want to force them to do it; it will just make them hate it. I will probably take the same approach as my family took with me and have lots of books available and demonstrate by reading for myself that reading can be fun. And reading together. And just hope that they have the same interest.

[brooklynegan]

If I would want my child to be reader, I would simply start off by reading to them every night before bed at about the age they start walking. Then would simply buy books of their interests when they start having hobbies. I think it's important that they start this kind of thing at a young age.

[khudecek]

If I would want my child to be reader, I would simply start off by reading to them every night before bed at about the age they start walking. Then would simply buy books of their interests when they start having hobbies. I think it's important that they start this kind of thing at a young age.

I was reading to my kids when they were infants. I'd put them in the crook of my arm and show them pictures in books and tell them what they were looking at. I mean, they're new to this world, you know. Everything is a miracle to them. They were too young to show emotion but I'd like to think that helped them a little bit.

[Katygalloway]

I know reading helped me so much, not just in being able to read before every other kid when I was 5 and intellectually but I learnt about the world and was so much more mature as a result because I read books that were for an older age group because all the books for my age group were too easy, hahah! So yeah I will strongly encourage my children to read

[LivreAmour217]

I have a son, and over summer vacation I make him read every day for at least 30 minutes. He is an enigma to me: an advanced reader who doesn't enjoy reading (he gets the former from me, and the latter from my husband, I think). If I didn't make him read over the summer, he would just sit in front of the TV all day!! During the school year, it's not an issue because he has to read a book of his choice for 20 minutes every night, Monday through Thursday.

[khudecek]

I have a son, and over summer vacation I make him read every day for at least 30 minutes. He is an enigma to me: an advanced reader who doesn't enjoy reading (he gets the former from me, and the latter from my husband, I think). If I didn't make him read over the summer, he would just sit in front of the TV all day!! During the school year, it's not an issue because he has to read a book of his choice for 20 minutes every night, Monday through Thursday.

Ditto! My kids are both in advanced reading and don't meet their accelerated reading goals (AR). They both have As in reading and are in the highest reading groups at school. But instead of sitting in front of the TV all day, they play on the Wii or sit on social networking by the hour. Very frustrating. I can't wrap my mind around it. I love them dearly but I'd love to burn that Wii to the ground!

[passionatereader16]

I have one child and she's almost 14 months. She already has a good sized collection of children's books and I read them to her at night. I've been reading to her since she was in the womb, and I want to instill in her the love that I have of books and reading.

[ElphabaEvans]

I don't want to use the word "make" but I am already trying to strongly encourage reading with my three year old. We read at least one book daily, and he reminds me if I forget so I guess it's working!

[ejkiser]

I think it is vital that you do your best to instill a love of reading in your kids. I have 2 brothers and a sister and when we were young I actually preferred reading to watching TV and caught some crap over it from them. The ironic part is I grew up and made a career in the film and television industry because of my love of reading and they now watch the shows I've produced! I enjoy giving them hell over this whenever we get together these days.

[tinkssmith]

It was my aunt that got me into reading when I was younger as my parents aren't readers at all. I would love my kids to be avid readers as I think it helps to build their imagination, however I wouldn't force them to. It would be completely their choice

[Cody Mathews]

Reading doesn't have to be sitting down and putting your face in a book. It also depends on the child's individual learning style. Some kids can sit down and read alone, or in a quiet place, while others need the social aspect of reading with others. Like school, every child learns differently. The important thing is that you keep the focus on the end product, which is the child enjoying reading.

I have found that my kids will enjoy reading if they see me doing it as well. I also talk about what I am reading and show them that they can read books, magazines, newspapers, kindle fire apps, etc. The important thing is that I am practicing what I am preaching.

I just purchased a kindle fire for my children (both under 7 years old) and use the Free Time feature which automatically selects books they would like based off their age, gender, etc. It has been a great way to engage them in reading daily and also enjoy what they are reading.

[khudecek]

It was my aunt that got me into reading when I was younger as my parents aren't readers at all. I would love my kids to be avid readers as I think it helps to build their imagination, however I wouldn't force them to. It would be completely their choice

I can't think of who got me into reading. Nobody in my family ever read. However, my aunt would make my brother and me go to the library every so often when we were staying with her in the summers. I remember getting records there and not books.

I think I got into when I read the Bicentennial Series by John Jakes. Wow, I'm dating myself there. I've been reading ever since. But books gave me great comfort when I was in school. My school life was pretty miserable and it gave me an escape from the cruelty of the other kids and being an outcast.

[KristineNicole]

I won't make my kids read if I have any. I will read to them as infants and tiny children. I will have books in our home. And I will read around them to show them that reading is a good thing. But I want to encourage the interest, rather than force it.