5 Daily Reading Habits To Help Your Child Grow Their Vocabulary

Reading with your child is one of the most powerful tools to support brain development and language skills. Daily reading creates strong foundations in vocabulary, listening, and comprehension.

Here are five simple, effective habits that help your child look forward to reading:

1. Make It A Daily Ritual

Set a consistent time each day for reading, such as part of your bedtime routine. Repetition and predictability help children feel secure and look forward to the experience. Even 10-15 minutes a day adds up!

2. Let Them Choose The Book

Use the power of choice. Giving your child a say in what to read promotes independence and keeps them engaged. Whether it’s a familiar favorite or something new, their curiosity leads to stronger attention and more opportunities to learn new words. 

3. Talk About The Story

Reading is not just about the words on the page - it is about conversation. Make it fun and engaging by pausing to ask questions like:

• “What do you think will happen next?”

• “Why do you think the character feels that way?”

• “Have you ever felt that way?”

Simple questions build comprehension and critical thinking skills. Talking about the emotions the characters are feeling helps children develop a strong emotional vocabulary.

4. Build Their Skills

For early readers, try tracing words with your finger as you read or pointing out rhyming words. Help them sound out letters and syllables. This helps children connect spoken language to written text - a key step in literacy development  

Turn everyday reading into teachable moments. Boost learning by asking how many objects they see or what colors they notice on the page. Simple questions like these turn storytime into a fun opportunity to build early math and observation skills!

5. Make It Playful And Personal

Use silly voices, act out parts of the story, or swap your child’s name into the book. Personalized books, like our Shine At The Doctor book series, can turn storytime into a magical, memorable experience that deepens connection and reinforces language learning.

Final Thoughts:

Research shows that children who are read to regularly have larger vocabularies, stronger literacy skills, and greater school readiness. With these simple habits, you are not just reading - you are setting your child up for stronger communication skills and a lifetime of learning.

Helping children love to read - one blog at a time!