I take my Great-granddaughter illustrated story books whenever I visit. Usually good condition ones from a charity shop which sells childrens books for less than the price of a local postage stamp. She looks out for them. She is 3 years old, so does not read but follows the story and points things out from the pictures. I started my own daughter, this girl's Nanna, on Beatrix Potter when she was little and made sure that GGD and GGS have a set of these books as well as the cds.

It's a nice idea. It is even a Good Thing. But it will not guarantee that kids become readers.

I read to all three of my children daily as they were growing up, took them to the library frequently, and bought them books as often as I could afford to do so. They all grew up to be competent readers (though one of them struggled along the way). However, while they are happy to read for information, rarely do any of them read for pleasure. I was surprised and disappointed. The love of books is such an integral part of me that I was sure I was passing it along. This was a hard one for me to accept, but eventually I recognized that we have to respect our children as individuals with their own tastes, talents, and interests.

Undeterred but less confident, we are trying all over again with my husband's grandchildren. We send books as well as toys for Christmas and birthdays, and once in a while for no particular reason at all. The oldest is now in high school and has pretty much lost all his early interest in in reading in favor of sports, but I have cautious hope for one or two of the others.

Rosefolly

Some of my earliest memories are of my mother reading to my sister and me and I'm sure that led to the love of books that we both have (we don't love the same books, however). It is surprising, Rosefolly, that your children don't feel the same but maybe they are just too busy with other activities to have time to enjoy reading for pleasure. Life is certainly full of distractions these days and even I don't read as much as I would like because of all the other things there are to do.

An acquaintance recently started acquiring books for her first granddaughter. She plans to have a "book of the month club" for the lucky baby.

I read the column about the "book on every bed" and also think it is a wonderful idea.

I think television has filled the need for stories in many of the younger generation. We all need stories!

I read to my daughter every night until she was ten years old and was afraid she was not going to like to read for herself, but she is now an avid reader. I also read to a step-grandson who, along with his mother, lived with us until he was nearly four. She recently found his copy of Ferdinand, and he said, "Oh! That's my book!" and wouldn't let his children have it because they are small enough to mess it up. He is not much of a reader but loves movies.

I read to both children every night, while waiting at the doctor for an appointment, sitting in traffic on road trips-everywhere and as often as I could. They are 5 years apart, so I had one-on-one time with both of them. Oldest grew up to earn a Masters in English Lit and reads everything, while youngest rarely reads for pleasure. Nurture helps, but some of it is personality. Youngest was not a still child and is not a still adult-he is always moving, running, playing a sport, working out. He gets his relaxation by moving. He does have fond memories of being read to, and told me recently that if he has children, they will be read to-but he doesn't like to read himself.

Isn't it funny how these things work out? I was read to by my mother, my grandparents (who also told wonderful stories) and my older sisters. My mother also had us reciting poetry as soon as we could talk. We are all avid readers and would-be writers and poets. Two of my sisters are librarians. My mother is also fond of saying that we are somehow related to Robert Burns, although there is no factual basis for that. Nature and nuture indeed. But obviously everyone is different as this thread illustrates.

Hi, I post on other GW forums but first time here. Hope no one minds if I jump in.

My Dad is a voracious reader, my mother not so much but she made time to read to my siblings and myself. As soon as the three oldest of us learned how to read we were insatiable readers. My youngest sister, who isn't as avid a reader as the other three, reads to her kids and encourages them to read; out of her three, two of them are eager readers. I don't think my brother , who is never without a book, has any kids who are fanatical readers even tho all four have above average IQ's; am not sure about grandchildren reading. My middle sister has four kids and three of them are big readers and all her grandchildren love to read. I have one son who read a lot growing up but now doesn't have much leisurely time to read. He and my DIL both read to my grandsons, 3 and 7 and my 7 year old just finished reading the first Harry Potter book to his Dad at night. I personally think that the love of reading is more an inherited thing than nurture. Just never know when those "genes" are going to pop up.

Welcome! I'm glad you have joined us.

I'm sure you are right, and there is no magic formula for turning kids into readers (sigh). Another factor that I think was important for me is that not only did my mother read to me, I saw her reading for enjoyment, and other adults as well. In my early teen years, I babysat after school for a woman with three young children. I would have snacks and watch TV with her kids and she would retire to her bedroom and read for an hour and half. They she would come out, hand me two dollars and begin preparing dinner, and I would go home. My 13-year-old self thought this behavior very strange, but it was an easy $2 - good money in those days. Now of coure, I understand completely!

FL Gypsy, welcome. The more the merrier.

I suspect that there are kids who would become readers even if they have to overcome barriers; and there are kids who wouldn't become readers no matter what you did; and finally there are kids who would become readers only under certain circumstances. Most of those kids are probably playing video games right now. Raise them in a backwoods cabin with no electronics and a roomful of books, and they would grow up readers. But I had no intention of raising my kids so far outside the rest of the world, even though I often despaired of what the rest of the world was doing.

Rosefolly