Yikes! Many English teachers bemoan the fact that kids nowadays refuse to read. Technology may factor in as children would rather watch TV, or play video games rather than do some good old-fashioned reading. Parents should encourage their children to read at home, as this habit (or hobby) will carry over to the classroom.

The key here is to start young. Mommies who read to their unborn babies and parents who read to their kids before bed time have a certain advantage. It also doesn’t hurt if the parents themselves actually read.

Build a home library. Buy your kid a book a week, or a book a month, if the budget is a little tight. Throw your kid a book-themed birthday party once in three years, when all the guests are encouraged to give books as gifts. This could be a start for your child’s library, which you or your child (with money saved from his allowance) could build from.

Know your child’s interest. If your little boy is interested in cars, then buy books about cars. If your little girl is into fairy tales, then buy books about fairy tales. You can always expand the genre later on. The idea here is to keep the collection close to what your child or children like first.

Enroll your kids in an after-school reading class, or take them to reading sessions in the library. There are even some libraries or book stores that have book clubs for children. Let them be involved with book and reading-related activities with other children who also love the written word.