I've always been amazed by people who were voracious readers as children. In my personal experience, I never met another kid who loved to read. But as I've gotten older and read biographies of intellectual people, I've noticed a common denominator: they were all massive readers from a young age.
As a former child myself, I honestly couldn't think of anything more boring for a kid to do than sit and read a book. So I'm genuinely curious: How exactly did your parents or guardians make you fall in love with books so early? Was it a specific routine, a type of book, or are some people just genetically predisposed to books?
by Albert3232
26 Comments
My sister taught me to read before I started school. I am eternally grateful to her for that. I still don’t know why. And my parents were heavy readers.
I had a set of Golden Books encyclopedias in my room. I devoured them at night when I was supposed to be sleeping. After that I realized that reading kept me company any time I wanted it.
Well. I always had access to them and my parents liked it, but really I just liked reading.
My parents were always reading, and there were a lot of kids books in the house that I hadn’t read. I’d get bored and pick one up.
Beyond that, most of my friends read a lot and everyone always reading to kids. This was pre-smartphone era so there was lots of time to just be bored.
Having intermittent access to TV.
For me it was my mother’s love of books. She introduced me early on to stories like The little Prince, Tom Sawyer and others that fueled my love of books.
The Choose your own Adventure books helped a lot too: quick and easy reads perfect for vacation.
You read to your kids at first. Then you have them read to you as they get older. If bedtime’s at 9pm, no TV or video games or tablets or phones or whatever after 7pm. No screens. If reading is all they’re allowed to do, they’ll read. Many of them will be conditioned to enjoy it and carry on with it. Many won’t. It’s the same as teaching your children any other skill, hobby, or activity.
Most “intellectuals” I know IRL in the current year don’t even read a book a year. Remember, if you’re reading biographies, you’re probably reading biographies of people who came up before the smartphone and social media eras.
We didn’t have cable TV like the other kids. But we had access to a ton of books!
My parents always let me buy all the books from the Scholastic book order that I wanted and would encourage my love of reading by taking me to B&N to the midnight Harry Potter release, etc.
Neglect and the resulting boredom.
ETA: And also- my mom was a reader and I was an only child in a neighborhood without many other kids. Once a week library trips saved me.
My dad encouraged me. He took me to the library when I was 4. He told me that if I enjoyed reading, I could go anywhere. As I go my into my teens, I read to escape my family, especially my dad. Books didn’t judge me or yell at me. After college, I didn’t read for a long time. Two years ago I treated myself to a Kindle. I forgot how much FUN reading is! I’m hooked again! In the past two years I’ve read over 100 books. My dad didn’t give me much, but he gave me that. And I am so thankful!
If I’m being honest, I fell in love with books because it was an escape from my home life.
I was a sick and abused kid so I was at home pretty much all of the time except for school. Books let me escape that life. I could lock myself in my room and go on adventures and meet heroes and feel safe.
Even now, as an adult, the only thing that makes me feel as safe as reading is being with my wife.
Parents were career people who had no time for children. Books were gifts to keep me occupied, out of the way and most importantly out of trouble. It became a lifelong hobby.
Lonely child in a Midwest city with nasty winters.
Plus, my best friend was a reader.
Boredom and escapism. I read all the encyclopedias, all the fiction my parents had. Got a library card and just became a bookworm. I could disappear into another world and forget my crappy life back then.
My parents and adults around me read to me regularly, they read interesting and fun stories, most days of my childhood. My reading wasn’t restricted or forced, also I wasn’t forced to only read educational or school books, I could read whatever I liked (with in reason). My reading was actively supported, it wasn’t removed as a punishment, etc. Adults around me took an interest in what I was reading and asked questions and offered options for other books I might like.
All those things combined set me up for voracious reading.
My mom taught me to read when I was 4, and as a 90s kid I didn’t have a lot of tech to take my interest away, and we never had enough money to go on large vacations or anything, so reading was my entertainment and escape.
That, and I was a quiet kid that liked to learn and liked to experience things, so reading spoke to me.
I was a huge book worm when I was a kid. neither of my parents read AT ALL, we did not keep books in the house. I honestly don’t know where I got my love of reading at, I did have a babysitter who loved to read, so maybe her?? but I’ve always had a thirst for knowledge, I would watch PBS by myself (my parents only watched trash TV) and loved learning about the world. my parents, especially my dad, were emotionally abusive so I think I used it as an escape but also just always had curiosity which my small town & life could not satisfy.
I also want to note, I was a really late bloomer when it came to reading- I didn’t know how to read until I reached 3rd grade when it just “clicked” and I could seen read at advanced levels. the human brain is awesome
I literally have just always loved reading and books. I think that it’s just like every other hobby in the world. You either like it or you don’t.
For me I’d say it was like 70% because my parents made a point of reading to us and with us when we were little and encouraging us to read on our own once we were able. This also included regular trips to the library so we could all pick out books that interested us.
The other probable factor is that I was a socially awkward kid with mental health problems, which I suppose made me more inclined to immerse myself in books.
Harry Potter.
My parents and older sister read to me, apparently more or less from the day I was born. They all read in their own time too. If behaviours are modelled, children will pick up on them.
It wasn’t just the reading itself, but I’d also draw my favourite characters or act out different parts of the book with my sister. There are a ton of ways to make books engaging for kids as long as parents are willing and able to put in that effort.
I feel like I got lucky to have a good imagination. The, what do you call, mind movies? You get when reading? That came really easy for me. Maybe too easy! I get really lost sometimes.
So that engagement kept me reading.
I could not tell you. I learned to read at 4, immediately became obsessed, and was reading chapter books by the time I turned 5.
The obsession never stopped.
My dad is also an avid reader.
It’s my special interest. My mom was also very involved with my learning and helped build my relationship with reading. By the time I was in early middle school I was reading whatever I could get my hands on and reading above my grade level. I’m also a visual reader or whatever the term is, I can see what I’m reading in my head.
I’d read a lot of scifi, fantasy, thrillers and romances. I think I am just suited for reading they way my brain works lol, it helps keep me stimulated
I highly doubt it’s any sort of predisposition, and more likely a combination of circumstancial factors. My parents read to me from pretty much the moment they brought me home and I grew up before home internet was really a thing, without unlimited TV time, and in a very rural area where I struggled to make any friends and there wasn’t much in the way of social opportunity – hence devouring books due to lack of much else to do. I think this is actually part of the reason my reading became a bit sporadic as I got older; I neglected it a bit in my teens when I did have internet access, my own TV, and friends, and actually had a proper range of options for how to pass my time, and I had a phase of barely picking up a book due to extreme burnout with life in general in my twenties. It never lasts long, though. I’m always happier when I read novels regularly, my own writing improves fifty-fold, and above all else I always end up finding a book that makes me remember how much I enjoy it.
My parents.