Creating a warm and fun reading space in your home is one of the most effective ways to foster a love of reading in a young child. The benefits of fostering a love of reading from a young age are well-documented. Reading books accelerates language development and literacy skills, sparks intellectual curiosity, improves self-esteem, develops empathy and helps children learn about the world and how to relate to others. Children who enjoy reading are also more likely to embrace life-long learning.
Creating a warm and inviting reading space for your child doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be achieved in four simple steps.
Instead of storing books upright with the spine facing out, display your child’s books with the covers facing forward in forward-facing shelves. This makes the books more appealing and enticing for young children. You can opt for a front-facing Montessori-style bookshelf or instead go with a wall-mounted shelf that you can install low enough that your child can reach. Whichever option works best for you, be sure to make the bookshelf fully accessible to the child. They should be able to pick up the book and put it back on their own.
Keeping the bookshelves a neutral color (i.e. white or light wood) helps the books themselves stand out and look more inviting. If a bookshelf is outside of your budget, you could also opt for a basket on the floor with books in a line, so that the front cover of the first one is visible.
Shelves: Ikea Flisat Wall Storage
The next step is to add comfortable seating. A bean bag, play mattress, floor pillow or lounger are all great options. Alternatively, a cozy carpet with pillows works just as well. Make the space inviting with rich textures and the child will want to spend more time in their cozy reading space.
To accessorize the space, add items that increase value and beauty for the child such as interesting art work, a few select open-ended materials and/or music instruments. By adding a few open-ended materials that compliment the books on display, the child can also enjoy bookish play. Bookish play makes books come alive for the child and makes reading even more fun. Remember to keep it simple and orderly.
Items pictured can be found here.
Rotating books and materials every once in a while keeps the space interesting and engaging for the child. There is no exact rule for this. Follow your child. If interest starts to wane it’s a sign that it may be time to refresh the space once again.
Be sure to join your child in their cozy space for quality time exploring books. Modeling a love of reading is a great way to help nurture this in our children and they will reap the rewards of it throughout their life.
If you’ve been inspired by this blog post, leave a comment below or tag us on social media so we can see your creations!
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