Thread by @Joannechocolat

On this #WorldBookDay, here are ten tweets on HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS READING. Follow the hashtag to collect them all! #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

1. Make sure YOU read for pleasure regularly, and that your kids see you doing it. Talk about the books you read, and why you've enjoyed them. You can't expect your kids to love reading if you don't. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

2. Read to your children regularly. Make it a part of their bedtime routine. Reading aloud helps parents form a bond with their children, and gives them the opportunity to discuss all kinds of topics that might arise from the stories. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

3. Resist the urge to be a teacher to your children. They already have teachers. Instead, be an entertainer: make your children's reading fun. Get them to join in with the funny voices, the sound effects. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

4. Don't make reading stressful for your child. It should be about pleasure, first and foremost. Your child's reading shouldn't be about meeting targets, or impressing your friends with their reading age, or with the number of books they've read. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

5. Let your children choose their own books. Don't be judgemental about their choices. If they start to associate their reading with your disapproval, they'll stop reading altogether. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

6. Don't tell them reading is "good for them." Reading isn't broccoli. Let them enjoy reading for its own sake, without pressure. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

7. Don't push them towards "the classics." If you want to encourage them to try a book you've loved, tell them the story and let them decide. But kids don't care about literary kudos. If they prefer something else, go with it. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

8. If they're really enjoying a book that you deem to be problematic (fatphobia, etc) don't rubbish the book, or try to persuade them not to read it. Instead, read it together and use the opportunity to discuss the topics it raises. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

9. Never take a book from your child, or ridicule their choices. "Girl books," "boy books", picture books, "silly books", books for "the wrong" age group. If your child is reading, let them read. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading

10. Never, for any reason, force your child to read, or use reading as a punishment. It's the fastest way to ensure that your child will never read for pleasure again. #TenWaysToGetKidsReading