Reading has always been an important part of my life, and I want to make sure that I instill the same love of books in my own kids. I firmly believe that success in reading translates directly to success in school -- and success in life. That's why I'm not going to depend solely on the local public schools to teach my kids how to read. Though we have some wonderful teachers in the district, they're generally overworked and hamstrung by a curriculum that focuses more on standardized test results than on genuine instruction. So I'm going to supplement what my kids learn at school with extra reading practice at home.
One of the first things I did when my kids entered kindergarten was join a couple of children's book clubs. Children's book clubs allow me to purchase age-appropriate books that I can then enjoy reading with my sons as we build up our own home library. My boys love looking through the catalog to carefully choose their selections for the month, and they wait with great anticipation for the day when their packages will arrive. This is definitely a step in the right direction as far as developing a fondness for reading.
There are a lot of different children's book clubs out there, all with slightly different membership fees and guidelines. It took a little bit of time to sort through the various offerings and find the two children's book clubs that were best for my family, but I'm glad I did it. The books we get from each club are far cheaper than the retail price, and unlike borrowing books from the library down the street, we get to keep texts and really make them our own. I encourage my boys to neatly mark their favorite passages in whatever they're reading so we can have fruitful discussions about the stories later on, which is obviously something that cannot be done with borrowed books. It can get a bit expensive buying all of these titles each month, but I consider it money well spent. After all, I'm basically investing in my kids' future here!
Some of my friends wonder why I bother with children's book clubs when I can just shop at discount retailers like Amazon.com. This is a legitimate question, but I've found that I don't make regular purchases when left to my own devices. The selections from our children's book clubs come each and every month, whereas I probably would not shop that often without a club membership. Other folks might do just fine with Amazon, but I personally prefer the club route.
If you're like me and feel that cultivating a love of reading in your kids is one of the best gifts you can ever give them, then you might want to check into joining a few children's book clubs of your own. I'm very satisfied with my decision and plan to keep my memberships going for a long time!