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Want to help children love reading? Raise a reader? Discover simple, loving ways to raise a reader and make books a joyful part of family life. More than school success—it’s about giving children a lifelong love of books.
Teach a Child to Read. Help a Child Love Reading.
One of the greatest gifts we can give our children isn’t just the ability to read.
It’s the desire to.
Those aren’t quite the same thing.
A child can learn to sound out words, read chapter books, and pass every spelling test, yet still think of reading as something that belongs to school. Something assigned. Something to finish.
But a child who discovers that books are companions, adventures, comfort, laughter, and wonder has found something that can enrich a lifetime.
That’s the kind of reader I hope we’re raising.
As parents, we naturally celebrate the milestones. The first word. The first sentence. The first chapter book read all alone. Those moments deserve cheering.
But underneath every reading milestone is another hope that may matter even more.
We hope our children discover that reading is a pleasure, not a chore.
Because when reading becomes something they enjoy, learning doesn’t stop when school lets out for the summer. It becomes part of who they are.
School Teaches Reading; Home Teaches What Reading Feels Like.
Teachers carry an enormous responsibility. They teach children the skills that unlock reading—hearing sounds, recognizing words, understanding what they’re reading, and growing into confident readers.
Those skills matter.
In fact, they matter so much that I’ve spent a great deal of time writing about them here on the Front Porch. Understanding how children learn to read helps us support them with patience instead of frustration.
But home offers something school never can.
Home teaches children what reading feels like.
A bedtime story under a warm blanket.
A picture book read three hundred times because it’s still the favorite.
A chapter before lights out.
A trip to the library just because.
Laughing at a silly character.
Stopping to wonder what might happen next.
Those ordinary moments quietly tell a child, “Books are a happy place.”
The Point Isn’t Pages. It’s People.
Years from now, your children probably won’t remember every story you read together.
They may not remember every character, every rhyme, or every funny voice.
But they remember you.
They remember climbing into your lap. They remember your voice. They remember feeling safe.
They remember that someone thought they were worth twenty unhurried minutes.
Every shared story says something much bigger than the words on the page.
“You matter enough for me to spend this time with you.”
That’s a message children never outgrow.
Help Children Love Reading; Reading Opens Doors
Every reading skill your child learns unlocks another shelf of possibilities.
Stories that make them laugh.
Biographies that inspire them.
Science books that answer impossible questions.
Devotionals that point you to Scripture.
Cookbooks. Travel guides. Mysteries. History. Poetry.
And what about instruction manuals?
When we got a new puppy, we checked out a dog-care-and-training guide from the local library. We learned together how dogs read expressions and movements. (All that wolf heritage. Learning that showing teeth can signal aggression, even if it’s just smiling. A paw on the shoulder says, “I’m the boss here.”) It was surprisingly helpful, and it was fun to learn together. And now, 40+ years later, we still refer to pushy people as paw-on-the-shoulder folks.😄
Why am I telling you that? Because it goes so far beyond the act of reading a book.
Reading isn’t the destination.
It’s the key that opens thousands of doors.
That’s why learning to read well matters so much.
Not because worksheets are exciting.
Not because tests are important.
Because every new reading skill gives children greater freedom to explore a world that keeps getting bigger.
In fact, when you help a child love reading, you raise a reader!
Love Grows in Ordinary Moments
You don’t have to create a picture-perfect reading routine.
You don’t need a beautifully organized reading nook.
You don’t need an hour every evening.
Life with children is wonderfully unpredictable.
Read while you’re waiting at the doctor’s office. Bring your own, or read what they have.
At the dentist’s office, my daughter always made a beeline for the book, Marvin K Mooney, Will You Please Go Now. She knew how much I loved the page with the zumble-zay, and could go right to it. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just buy the book at home? Sure. But it was our thing. Seeing it there. Never got old.
Read on the porch while the dog wanders through the yard.
Read one chapter after dinner.
Read one page before bed.
Read the cereal box if that’s what captures your preschooler’s attention that morning. I sure did. My kids knew the words FROOT LOOPS before the letters of their own names. (😄This says something about my reckless disregard for spelling at times, and also my nutrition choices.)
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s the moments. The memories.
It’s simply making words and books feel like they belong in everyday life.
Those little moments add up.
One Day They’ll Read Without You
One day your child won’t ask you to turn the page.
One day they’ll disappear into a bedroom with a novel.
One day you’ll tell them it’s bedtime, and they’ll answer, “Just one more chapter.”
When that day comes, you’ll smile.
Not because they learned to read.
Because they learned to love reading.
And that’s a gift they’ll carry long after childhood is over.
One More Encouragement
If you’re reading with your child today, don’t measure the worth of that moment by today’s results.
You aren’t just finishing another book.
You’re building trust.
You’re building vocabulary.
You’re building curiosity.
You’re building memories.
You’re building the habit of turning to books.
And one ordinary story at a time, you’re helping shape a reader.
Would you like a gentle way to encourage reading at home?
I’ve created a free guide called The Ordinary Way Children Learn to Read. It shares ten simple, encouraging ways parents can support reading at home, along with five things children can begin learning before kindergarten.
It’s designed to help you understand the journey—without turning every book into a lesson.
Because sometimes the very best thing we can do is sit down together, open a book, and enjoy the story.
Remember:
“You matter enough for me to spend this time with you.”
That’s a message children never outgrow.
Now, Mom, what is it you’ll do?
Maybe you’ll dig out that old copy of “Go, Dog, Go” and read it again. No matter what child I was reading with, they always knew I was just waiting for the DOG PARTY at the end of the book. The memory of that little face looking to me as a little hand turned the page, it’s so sweet. It never got old, letting them lead me to that moment.
Of course I’m hoping today’s note did something. I’m hoping it woke up an idea that was already hiding in your own head. An idea about reading with your little one.
But Wait… Did Anyone Help You Love Reading?
Maybe reading for you wasn’t really fun.
Maybe it isn’t, even now. And I know for some people the joy never came. If that’s true, you have a mindset about reading that lingered all your life. It makes reading seem like a chore, a requirement.
You’re not wrong. You’re using the mindset you’ve always had, just like we all do for so many things.
I would love to see sunlight on a book in your hands… and on your face. The brightness of laughter, beauty, or kindness, delivered to your heart from the pages someone wrote.
For you, and for your child, there is a story waiting for you — to soothe your heart, make sense of your chaos, or satisfy your curiosity.
Reading isn’t really like anything else. Printed information enters our mind differently. (I’m not making that up — it’s true.)
You’ll be surprised how easily you can lose yourself in a book, and fall in love with reading.
Giving your child the gift of wanting to read is one of the most lasting contributions you can make.
To enhance their learning, of course, but also to make their life easier, better, richer.
Here’s the information I promised you. Just click the image. You’ll be taken to the link to download the file.
Listen. This is enough. You. Being here today.
I thank you for letting me talk.
But I thank you more for caring about your child, and for seeking out information. Download the guide and enjoy it.
If you want more, more than what’s in today’s topic, it’s your lucky day. There’s a lot more right here on the website.
You’ll do more than get your feet wet. In fact, grab a swim ring, and click this link to All The Reading Things. More resources, and lots of explanations of what’s coming to your child’s school (and thus to your kitchen table).
I’m never telling you what to do. It’s your family, and your time. But I’ll always show you the secret rooms you might not have noticed. 💖
By the way, 😎
Some of the products mentioned as links on this page are affiliate links. That means a merchant may give me a tiny reward if you buy something I recommended to you. Tiny rewards like that, plus the sale of my own products, help to reduce the ongoing cost of the blog. (Or, as my husband calls it, my expensive hobby. 😉)
Find out more about that here.
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-Grammye
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