Adrianna and Adora generally read a book, sometimes two, a day, and to them a trip to the bookstore seems as exciting as a trip to the candy store. This is no accident.

If you want to foster your childs interest in reading and writing its important to build associations between books and things that already have positive connotations: spending time with family, attention, adventure, ownership, and freedom.

Set aside a good chunk of time for a trip to the bookstore; when a visit to the bookstore becomes an expedition instead of an errand it offers a great opportunity for family bonding. If your child chooses a book, talk to them about it, pay attention, let them feel that their tastes and interests are important to you.

Learning to choose good books is a skill that can only be developed through a process of trial-and-error. But even if your child occasionally ends up with a book they dont like, dont think of it as wasted money. Even complaining about why they dont like a book gives children a valuable chance to learn to differentiate between styles, and to think about what makes the difference between dull and interesting content. These skills will be invaluable when they begin writing more themselves.

Instead of just paying for what they choose, give them an allotted allowance to spend. This will give them experience with budgeting, while at the same time building their mental association between books, freedom, and independence.

Feel like you dont have time for all of this? Think of it as investing in the future. The time you take to foster your childs love for books will pay off ten-fold not only in their quality of life, but in yours. Kids who spend a couple of hours a day reading spend a couple of hours a day less getting into mischief. But you may have to field some surprising questions.