I love children’s books as much as my children. I love the imagination, creativity, innocence, wonder, and transportation to another world even one where animals talk and have afternoon tea. Books bring a sense of wonder and if you select the right book the words can be mesmerizing. I love the way words sound as they come together to form a beautiful thought. Books are magic. It is the magic I want to share with my children. Further, I want my children to enjoy reading on their own. The best way to encourage an emerging reader is to make reading a part of your home. Children who are read to and have age appropriate books in reach are more likely to grow into avid readers.
One way to inspire reading in your home is by creating a reading nook. Creating a reading nook can be as complicated as purchasing wood and making a bench in a corner of a room or in a hallway. It can also be as simple as providing a small area with a comfy child size chair and books in reach.
Tips:
If you have a spare closet you can remove the door and replace it with a curtain. Inside you can paint it and add a small table, basket for books and a beanbag. Of course this would have to be a large closet. I have seen it done and it was quite cozy.
Do you have a favorite chair? Maybe you can place a basket of books and a bean bag or child sized chair near it so you can read together.
I have a bookcase in my living room and for a time I placed a basket of child appropriate books near a comfy bean bag to the side of the bookcase to encourage reading.
You need to make sure the books are in reach and easy to put back to ensure your area says cozy and does not become a huge mess. Mess equals stress and that is no place to read. You can use baskets, crates, or a small bookshelf.