1. Read 3-6 books a day. According to a study from Ohio State University, children who are read 5 books a day are exposed to over 1 million words before they walk into kindergarten. Exposure to a variety of books on a daily basis will create that strong foundation for a love of books, or other worlds, and set them for success at school.
2. Get them a library card ASAP, once they’re old enough to understand it. If a library is nearby, most libraries do not have an age requirement for getting a library card. Before they start kindergarten, it could become a special day including teaching them to sign their name for the back of their card (if the library still has physical library cards) and making it a special event when they go get their first one. Making their relationship with the library something they can take ownership of will make it exciting and teach them about their sense of self in the world. To really encourage a love of books, let them pick out their own special canvas bag to fill up every time you make a visit.
3. Let them pick books for story time for the most part. While sometimes kids need a push to read a new book, or a parent may want to read a certain book to address something specific, allowing children to pick their books for story time, or when they are at the library, will help them develop their own taste, help them learn to make decisions, and give them a sense of autonomy over their world.

By reading books, we get to visits worlds and realities and expand our understanding of the universe. The younger those doors are opened for kids, the bigger their sense of adventure and self will be. What were your favorite books as a kid? What do you like to read to your kids? Let us know!