All parents want their children to read more, but getting the kids on board can be a challenge. One way to encourage kids to read more books is by providing a comfortable and dedicated space to do so in a room they already frequently use: their bedroom. Creating a reading nook early on in a child’s room is a great way to point out the importance of taking time to read either together or alone in the spare time they spend in their room. From lighting to comfort and storage, here are ways to transform a corner of your child’s bedroom into a dedicated reading zone.
A cozy, colorful reading chair is where you should start when designing an appealing reading nook. There are plenty of styles and colors that you and your child can agree on that are both fun and match the color scheme of their bedroom. It doesn’t particularly matter what style chair you choose from recliner to armchair to chaise, as long as it fits in the bedroom alongside a light source and bookcase.
The most important thing is that your child enjoys sitting in the chair you choose and will stay there for long periods of time in order to finish a book. A large enough chair lets you sit alongside your child and read together. This also gives them room to spread out in later on as they get older and start reading books on their own.
Along with seating, good lighting is essential for a young reader. A floor lamp or wall-mounted lamp can provide adequate reading light to a space of your choosing without waking everyone else in the house up. If your kid is going to stay up whether you say it’s bedtime or not, at least let them do so in order to get to the next chapter of a high fantasy adventure.
Obviously, a key ingredient to a reading nook is the bookshelves provided for your child’s collection. Each shelf can be dedicated to a different genre or reading level, and you can fill the bookshelves as your child’s taste expands. The bottom shelf could contain picture books they can pull out and look at along with books you read to them so they can bring you requests at night. Every shelf above that could be higher on the reading levels, so that as children grow, their reading material grows with them and becomes more accessible. You can also dedicate part of the bookcase to your favorite stories that you want to share with them in the future as a bonding experience.
If you’ve already got a child with a love for reading, then you’ll have no trouble encouraging them to set up a space in their room dedicated to books and learning. In this case, what you should do instead is work with them to make their bedroom accommodate their interests better. Not only is a reading nook good, but also make it easy for your child to read in bed as well with adequate lamp lighting on their night table and a comfortable headboard or body pillows to prop themselves against the wall to avoid slouching.
Having a reading nook is great, especially in the summer when there’s a heatwave and you don’t want your child outside too long. Many libraries also have summer reading programs that reward kids for reading during the summer break, and some extend into the school year as well. You can’t force your child to enjoy going to the library and not every kid will develop a love for reading, but a bedroom reading nook can be re-purposed later if it doesn’t take, and you never know what might inspire a child to read.
