My dream has always been to introduce our kiddos into the wonderful world of reading and create an atmosphere in our home that encourages everyone to pick up a book, discover new worlds, learn something new, and maybe while we are at it…sometimes even think critically. When my first baby was born, I spent hours at a local bookstore with my husband and even then read to her. I loved watching her little eyes look at the pictures on the book and listen to my voice.
Every one of my children is different but one way I keep their little eyes interested in reading is by setting up baskets around the house called “interest baskets”. For the months of September-November I have an interest basket that includes books on apples, apple picking, fall, Thanksgiving, Indigenous People’s Day, and even camping. If you are reading this and live in a cold state during the fall, the camping doesn’t make much sense but we live in a state with HOT weather so the fall is a great time to go camping when it’s actually cooler. Here is a picture of one of the interest baskets we’ve been reading from. I include books in English and Spanish. If you’re kiddos are learning a new language, this is a great way to incorporate that language into your home.
You can build interest bins around any special field trips, special interest the kids have, and special holidays. The local library is my best resource but I also love special printables from online resources as well. Here’s a look at our little one when he was younger making a book choice for his bedtime story. You can get them involved as soon as you think they are ready.
As the fall weathers comes in, warm blankets, and hot cocoa are perfect add-ons to our cozy reading corners. Cuddles included! What kinds of things do you like to include in your reading nooks? How do you encourage your little ones to read? I’d love to hear from you in our comments below or as always, I love hearing from you at bernice@diapursity.com. I love getting emails from you. Your ideas are wonderful!
Happy Fall & Happy Reading!
Bernice