By the time children are at least one year of age, they are showing interest in different things. It’s amazing the difference in what Caroline is drawn to at one year of age as opposed to what Coleman loved at that age. Allowing their interests to guide their reading choices holds so much power in setting the foundation of their reading life.
Showing your children there are books to match their interests will create a life long reader.
One of the most important things that you can do to raise a reader is to provide children with books that match their interests. Recently, my four year old saw a motorcyclist doing a very “cool” (yet unsafe in my opinion) trick while we were driving to a restaurant. For months, he has talked about the motorcyclist and how he wants to become one when he grows up. I absolutely HATE motorcycles. To me, they are very dangerous and the last thing that I want my son to be interested in. However, he’s only 4 and a long way away from legal driving age. Knowing that I could tap into his love of motorcycles, I knew a book about motorcycles would bring a lot of joy to that little boy! He loves his motorcycle book, always reaches for it and loves the nonfiction aspect of it. This is a great way to introduce nonfiction books, as well!
Think about your child’s interest and use that as a starting point for matching books to your little reader!
Topics to Match Books with Your Childs Interest
- Animals – farm, pets, safari
- Sports
- Community Helpers – firemen, doctors, police officers, teachers
- Transportation – trains, cars, motorcycles
- Characters – familiar characters in books, tv, or a movie series
- Insects
- Construction
- Music
- Camping
- States, Countries
- Traditions
- Holidays – we read Sesame Street’s Bunny Hop Easter book year round 🙂
- Space
- Foods, Recipes
- Ocean
- Rainforest
- Art
Even if you don’t love the topic, you’ll LOVE the look on your child’s face when they are enjoying what they are reading!
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