Reading is an important skill for everyone, and it’s one that benefits from being practised extensively in childhood. Kids who read often grow up to be better readers. This helps them do better in every aspect of life.
Some kids have a natural love of reading. Others need a little encouragement. The best thing we can do as parents is provide them with books that are challenging and educational, yet entertaining. This can get expensive if you buy lots of new books, but there are ways to keep your child reading for cheap or free. Here are some ideas:
1. Go to the library. This is the best place for anyone to read for free, and most public libraries have a large selection of children’s books. Best of all, the librarian can help you find books that are appropriate for your child’s age and skill level, so there’s no guesswork.
2. Look for used books online. There are entire sites that specialize in used books in various genres. Amazon.com is also a good place to look. They sell both new and used books, and they make it easy to compare prices among their sellers. You could also try eBay if you’re interested in buying used books in lots.
3. Check garage sales. When having a sale, parents often go through their children’s toys and books and get rid of the ones they’ve outgrown. The books you’ll find often sell for a dollar or less each, so you can pick up several of them for what you would pay for one new book.
4. Visit your local thrift shop. These stores often sell donated items at rock bottom prices. Not every thrift store sells books, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If they do, you could find some wonderful deals.
5. Make a trip to your local book exchange. These places will take your used books and give you credit toward books that others have brought in. This is a great way to get rid of your kids’ old books and get more that are appropriate for their current reading level.
6. Find a closeout book store. These stores sell books that are no longer being published at discount prices. If you can’t find one in your local area, check online.
7. Check your newspaper’s classified ads or your local trading post publication. You probably won’t find many individual books for sale, but parents sometimes advertise kids’ entire book collections if they want to get rid of them without having a garage sale. You can often find large lots of books at very low prices this way.
8. Find a source of hand-me-down books. If you have a friend with a child a year or two older than yours, you could ask what she’s going to do with the books her child outgrows. She might offer to sell them to you. There’s also a chance that she will be willing to pass them along for free.
Fostering a love of reading while your child is young will benefit her for the rest of her life. And you don’t have to spend a fortune on new books to do it. Used books and books borrowed from the library have just as much value as those purchased from a bookstore, and they’re much easier on your wallet.
