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You are here: Home / Homeschooling / Subject / Language Arts / 13 Ways to Raise Grammar Nerds and Book Worms

Filed Under: Language Arts · Planning & Organization · Strategies & Tips · Homeschooling 101 · Homeschooling Strategies · Language Arts

13 Ways to Raise Grammar Nerds and Book Worms

I've been accused on more than one occasion — okay, more like a thousand occasions — of being a grammar nerd and a book worm. But I'm proud to wear those titles, and I hope that some day my kids might be accused of the same thing. Because if they are, that would mean they both speak proper English and love to read — a homeschooling mom's dream!

So I thought I'd share my thoughts about how to raise grammar nerds and book worms, which I'm earnestly striving to do with my own kids.

1. Always, always, always use good grammar, especially when talking to your kids. Even when they’re babies, try to use proper English when speaking to them. That doesn’t mean you can’t talk baby talk, just talk baby talk with correct English. Remember, kids learn by example.

2. Gently correct your child’s grammar from the moment they start talking. If your 3-year-old daughter says, “Mommy, the dog goed outside.” respond with, “Oh, really? The dog went outside?” Don’t belabor the point, just repeat what she said using the correct words. She will catch on quickly. (And if you do these first two steps consistently, you'll find that your kids will breeze through much of their English grammar classes in school.)

3. Read books that use good grammar, whether you read aloud or your kids read them. I know not everyone will agree with me on this, but there are a few book series out there that I don’t like my kids to read simply because the books are so grammatically incorrect. While my kids are not yet secure with their own spoken grammar, I don’t want them overly exposed to wrongly conjugated verbs. As a result, I don’t like my kids to read books like the Junie B. Jones series until they can recognize the incorrect grammar on their own.

4. Sing the alphabet song…early and often. Make it more fun by playing pat-a-cake while you sing, or alternate saying the letters with your child. Just make singing the alphabet song a frequent occurrence. When your child officially begins to learn to read in school, she will be way ahead of the game. There are entirely too many children who begin kindergarten without knowing their alphabet, and those children are at a definite disadvantage when they try to learn to read.

5. Point out letters to your child wherever you see them. If you see the letter “A” on a store sign, point it out to your child and say the name and/or sound. Make a game of it. Before long, your child will be able to tell you the sound each letter makes. (I know from personal experience that this really works. According to my Mom, I learned to read at age 4 by reading the letters on a McDonald’s cup.)

6. Read aloud to your child as often, and from as early an age as possible. Don't be afraid to choose books that are beyond your child’s reading or spoken language level to read aloud. If you need help choosing great books to read, Ambleside Online has great booklists of quality literature from which you can choose, many which are available free online.

7. When your child is looking at the book you are reading aloud, use your finger to follow the words as you read.

8. Have your child read some of the words while you read. For example, let him say all the “a”s or “the”s or even the main character's name. How exciting for a 2 year old to “read” a book with Mommy!

9. Set up a special place for your child to read. Make sure it is comfortable and has good lighting, and then encourage them to use their special place to read something every day, even if they're just looking at the pictures in a book.

10. Give your kids books as gifts and help them build their very own library of beloved books on a bookshelf in their room.

11. Get your child his own library card, and make trips to the library on a regular basis.

12. Encourage your child to explore different genre. When your child finds a genre or author they particularly like, go the library and check out some of those books. Not everyone will be a fan of every genre, so help your child find out what especially appeals to them, but try to expose them to as many genre as possible.

13. Be a good example. If you want your kids to be good readers, make sure they see that you love to read as well.

If you are not a grammer nerd or bookworm yourself you can encourage you kids as they will gain so much from books.

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Comments

  1. Karen W says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:05 pm

    Great list! My kids still aren't book worms but there's still hope.

    Reply
  2. Meredith from Merchant Ships says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:31 pm

    What great tips! I hope my kids love words as much as I do!

    Good grammar is one of the best things moms at home can model–something that would be hard to assure with a nanny or daycare worker.

    Meredith from Merchant Ships’s last blog post..Birthdays On A Budget Radio Interview

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    Great list! Some very good and practical tips that one can easily incorporate into everyday life.

    Sarah’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen- Scriptures to Memorize

    Reply
  4. Susan (A Happy Heart at Home) says

    March 19, 2009 at 5:28 am

    Great list! I'm definitely into words, books, and grammar. We did these things with our girls when they were young, and they have been readers since they were small. They even have a box of special books from their childhood that they are keeping.

    Susan (A Happy Heart at Home)’s last blog post..Works for Me Wednesday, 3/18/09

    Reply
  5. Susan (A Happy Heart at Home) says

    March 19, 2009 at 5:35 am

    P.S. We used #8 on the list to teach our two younger girls how to read when they were very young. We used "The Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories" by Kelly Pulley (see amazon.com), and they started with "a"s and "the"s as well as "God" and "Jesus."

    Susan (A Happy Heart at Home)’s last blog post..Works for Me Wednesday, 3/18/09

    Reply
  6. { jamie } says

    March 19, 2009 at 6:58 am

    I've done all those & my 8yo daughter is already as much of a bookworm as I am. YAY! So they really do work! ?

    Reply
  7. Sherry says

    March 19, 2009 at 10:14 am

    Great ideas! I know my son isn't a big reader, but he is when he finds something he enjoys. 😀

    Sherry’s last blog post..13 Advantages of Being a Military Wife

    Reply
  8. Heidi Johnson says

    December 8, 2011 at 8:26 am

    I think the television does more to undermine my desire for my children to love reading than anything else. Who wants to read a book when they could sit with their Dad and watch TV instead?

    Reply

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