What do you remember about your childhood books? Do you remember falling into new worlds? Acting them out in the garden? Hiding under the covers or in a cosy corner while you read a book?
The fall and winter seasons are the perfect time to cuddle up with a book in a reading nook. Dedicate a corner of the living room, rec room, or a child’s room to creating an interactive reading and writing center for your primary-aged children.
A reading nook should be private and cozy, but it should also be accessible to the children. Place a small carpet on the floor and cover it with movable cushions or a small but comfortable chair.
Decorate the walls of the nook with pictures from the dust jackets of your child’s favourite books. Add quotes from books that inspire you and your child.
Place a long, thin bookcase on the walls, just large enough to hold a few favourite books, your child’s current obsessions, and the current books from the library. Keep these in one place so that you know where they are.
Add fun reading and writing activities for children who are just starting to engage with language as creators of language. Place big words on magnets and hang a stainless steel board from the wall. Use this for large magnetic poetry. For younger readers, place pictures and simple words or letters on the wall so that children can create picture stories.
Add books on tape into the corner for sick days or for children who are too young to read to themselves. Place a basket of finger puppets into the corner too, for those children who like to act out the stories in picture books.
A reading nook is a special place where your children can go when they want some quiet time. Does your child have a reading nook? What does it look like?