Instilling the Love of Reading in a ChildBy Avrahom Joseph

Introduction• Avrahom Joseph is a graduate of New Jersey’s Ocean

County College and has had a successful career in sales. A resident of Lakewood, Avrahom Joseph enjoys reading and collecting stamps and coins.

The number of Americans that read at least one book per year has steadily declined since 1978. In 2014, almost a quarter of the population failed to read a single book. The benefits of reading are many, while the fundamentals of reading remain highly important to a person’s success in both their personal and professional lives. Instilling the love of reading at an early age can make someone a reader for life.

Reading• As children develop independent reading skills they often

associate the task with homework and school assignments. One of the best ways to offset this idea is to read out loud to children from a very young age. Even a baby of just a few months is capable of enjoying pictures and the sound of a parent’s voice. In time reading can be seen as an opportunity for entertainment and family bonding rather than a chore. As a child’s reading skills improve, adults can encourage a child to read aloud to them.

Another key step towards raising a child who loves to read involves making books and magazines accessible throughout a home. A library of books should be as easy to get to as the television or family computer. It is equally important that children be offered books that speak to their interests.