I have talked in this blog before about trying to get my son to read more. I am an avid reader, I will read anything! So, in order to encourage my son to read more and to enjoy it as he starts 6th grade, I have told him that I will ready any book that he has to read for school this year. He is in Plano’s PACE program (gifted and talented, more or less) and his social studies class is going to require a great deal more reading than he is used to.

Whether me reading with him will help, I don’t know, but I am hopeful that it will allow us to discuss the books and motivate him to share what he likes and doesn’t like. I have a PhD in poetry, love literature and used to spend hours writing papers and having deep conversations about books. While I don’t expect my son to share my passion for literature, I want him to be a good reader. I struggle with having too high expectations for him and just wanting him to understand the simple pleasures of losing yourself in a great book.

He is very creative and likes to make up his own stories, he also likes reading non-fiction more than I do. He spent 20 minutes in the car the other day reading out loud to me from a book on elements from the periodic chart. The last time I thought about the periodic chart was in high school chemistry class, but whatever works!

I also got a sample of a new book in the mail at the office this week that is perfect for his creative spirit. It is called Your Life in Comics: 100 Things for Guys to Write and Draw by Bill Zimmerman. It is a book full of illustrations and comic strip bubbles that draw on great topics like family, friends, school, health and the future. You can learn more about this great book at FREE Spirit publishing.

My son was thrilled about creating his own book and this is a great way to encourage creative writing skills.

How are you encouraging your kids to read? Share your tips and tricks with other parents here.