Reading is essential to success in school, to success in careers and in our ability to contribute to society. But reading is much more than that. It is not just a means to an end—good grades, higher paychecks and the like. Reading IS an end. It is a joy and that is how we should approach it. Here are some ideas to think of when considering how you can instill a love of learning in those around you:

• Read to children--at every age. At bed time, at nap time, during the day—my mom always read to me. I can’t remember a nap time that wasn’t also a story time. I equate books with the stories they hold in their pages, but also with love, affection and comfort. My sons love adventure stories. When they were small, they would sprawl on their bedroom floor with my husband who would read to them until they couldn’t stay awake any longer. Those guys read about a spider named Charlotte, a wizard named Harry, an outlaw named Porter and much more. Some parents don’t think of reading chapter books with their children—old or young—but those years hold some of our best memories.
• Let the child be the guide. Children know what they like. I can’t recall how many times I read to read He Bear, She Bear or Dr. Seuss’ ABCs, but I do know that I could recite them—almost 20 years later-- for you! If you want your children to enjoy reading, make sure it is enjoyable for them by giving them the chance to pick the books they like, even if you are starting to recite them in your sleep. My youngest boy especially enjoyed books that came in a series, so we made sure to take every advantage of that passion. If he loved one of the Gregor the Overlander books, we read them all. If one Warriors book was good—sixteen were fantastic!
• Give the gift of reading. As the seventh of eight children, there wasn’t a lot of money for extras, but when I was four or five, my mom bought me a book of my own. It is one of the only gifts I specifically remember from my childhood. I cherished that book and read it until the cover fell off. Because that gift meant so much to me, I try to include a book or two in every gift I give. Baby showers, Christmas, birthdays—any occasion is a good time to give a book.
• Use reading as a reward not a punishment. Reading should be fun, exciting, and even joyful. Don’t ever use reading as a consequence to a negative action. “No TV for you tonight. Go to your room and read!” Is not going to build a love of reading in anyone! Assigning reading as a punishment just teaches children that reading should be something they don't like.
• Work with teachers. Despite years of reading to and with my children, there came a time in each of their school years when they started to hate to read. When reading, or anything, must be done for points, for a grade, or for an “assignment” it can become a chore, and no one likes chores. Build a strong working relationship with your child’s teachers to ensure that you can work together to create avid readers. Of course it is important to track reading and to ensure that children are reading at or above grade level, but watch out for situations in which reading becomes an arduous task that students and parents start to dread. Help your child select books. They should select books because of the topic, their interest in the subject or something else—but definitely not because of the number of “points” a book is worth.
• Be the example. Above all else you do, the best way to build a life-long love of reading in your children is to be a reader yourself. Subscribe to the newspaper and magazines and read them. Have books—lots of books—available for you and your children to read. Visit the library with them. Discuss what you are reading. Read what they are reading. Any time I had a book assigned by a teacher, I knew that my mom would be reading it right along with me. This was a powerful lesson to me that reading wasn’t something I did just for school, but was something that I would be doing throughout my life.