How to make it fun to go to library

[Anonymous]

Pick up a more advanced book to read to them too, let them help you decide which one.

[Anonymous]

From early on, we pretended doing to the library was a reward. Somehow that outlook stuck with them

[Anonymous]

I've worked with tons of kids and they all love the library. No need for gimmicks, though Story Time is a good intro. Definitely agree with other posters about reading yourself and not going and banning checkouts. We dedicate an entire shelf to library books. One side for new ones, one side for ready to return.

Talk to the children's librarian. If you have a good one, he or she can help instill excitement.

Maybe read the Ramona Quimby book where she tries to get her own library card. Talk it up like a big privilege. Your oldest should be ready for their own card now.

[Anonymous]

^^ read aloud to them the Ramona book, I meant

[Anonymous]

Once a week is perfect! You can limit the number of books they check out, just so you have an easier time keeping track, but I'd definitely let them each check out a couple each time.

[Anonymous]

My mom had a plastic milk crate box. We could check out a many books as we could carry ourselves in the crate. We loved filling it and dragging it out of the library. All the library books had to stay in the crate when not being read and were all returned each library visit. (No keeping longer. )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom had a plastic milk crate box. We could check out a many books as we could carry ourselves in the crate. We loved filling it and dragging it out of the library. All the library books had to stay in the crate when not being read and were all returned each library visit. (No keeping longer. )

Oooh. Great idea.

I’ll second the suggestion of letting them pick out at one reading material they want, and one “other” if they want. I know out local library took out all toys and aren’t doing any in person storytimes right now, so I pair library visits with a visit to a tea place they like across the street

[Anonymous]

having a special library book area at your house is a good idea. When I was growing up we each had a place in our rooms for library books, and my mom had a special tote bag for books that were ready to be returned.

if you are worried about losing books, I would say put a limit based on age--4 year old can take out 4 at a time; 1st grader presumably gets 6ish depending on how old he is. This also makes birthdays extra exciting--now you can take out an extra book on each library trip!

there are lots of fun events at libraries so bringing your kids to those is good.

[Anonymous]

Got to story time or to a crafts event. And, you read to them before bed or when they are starting to settle down. The kids aren't going to start reading unless you read to them first.

[Anonymous]

Kids kindle fire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids kindle fire.

Please no. Save tablets for when they are older.

[Anonymous]

Meh. Sometimes it doesn't work. I raised my kid in a house with thousands of books, spent endless hours reading to him, took him to a great library twice a week, and he hates reading. I failed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Sometimes it doesn't work. I raised my kid in a house with thousands of books, spent endless hours reading to him, took him to a great library twice a week, and he hates reading. I failed.

No! You didn’t. It sounds like maybe you have a tween/teen who has gotten a device of some kind, and then the pandemic and school on the computer and all that. Don’t give up! I bet they come back to it. You didn’t fail- it sounds like you did an awesome job. I would say- just keep reading yourself and talking about your books with your spouse in front of the kids. Get a newspaper delivered. The New Yorker. They’ll pick it up again! (And limit the tech if you can)

OP- good for you! I am a huge library booster. Think about comic books and funny stuff and don’t worry about needing to read books at a certain level or whatever. Literally anything goes when encouraging literacy. One note- I never let my kids do the computer stuff at the library… Or limit it maybe?

Good luck everyone! Books forevah. 😀

[Anonymous]

^^ editing to add- read to them every night on the couch, as many books as they want, whichever ones they want, for as long as they want. Do good voices. Get snuggly. Every night. No lessons about phonics or how reading is good for you or anything. Just do it and make it pure snuggly pleasure. (And literally never say out loud in their hearing that they don’t like reading. That’s a self-fulfilling prophecy) Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Op here.

Thank you. Teacher tells me that first grader can work on reading fluency by reading out aloud and reading comprehension by paying more attention. He can read. I am fine with 4 year old still likes to look at pictures. We are still working on pre-literacy skill like letter ABC.

The older one loves comics, and the younger one loves beautiful pictures. I read to the younger one more often. I will let them check out some books, and I like the theme ideas and a bin to store books. There is no in person story time now at my nearby library.

My main purpose is to work on reading fluency and better writing skill for the older one, and expose the younger one with more books.