10+ Best Books and Tips to Help Your Child Fall in Love with Reading (Before Kindergarten)

[Early Childhood 🧸] • [Intelligence 🧠] • [Books 📚] • [Nurture 🌱] • [Insights 📊]

There’s no manual for raising a brilliant child. But if there were, I think we'd all agree that it would start with one simple truth:

Teach your child to love reading—and do it early.

Before preschool. Before phonics. Even before they can say “read.”

You don’t need fancy programs. You don’t need a PhD in literacy. You need two things:

1. A lap.
2. A book.

Why Early Reading Really Matters

From ages 2 to 6, your child’s brain is building connections faster than it ever will again. This window is golden for language, memory, emotional regulation, and imagination. Teaching reading during this stage does more than get them ahead in school. It literally shapes the architecture of their mind.

According to decades of research, children who are exposed to books early:

• Build stronger vocabulary and language skills
• Perform better in school—not just in reading, but across all subjects
• Develop empathy and social awareness
• Grow in confidence, independence, and curiosity

Children who read well by third grade are far more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and pursue their dreams. But here’s the catch—it starts much earlier than third grade.

By the time your child enters kindergarten, they’ve either had years of rich reading experiences…or they’re already playing catch-up.

What Early Reading Actually Looks Like

Reading early doesn’t mean forcing toddlers through flashcards or pushing kindergartners through Shakespeare.

It means:

• Repeating silly rhymes from Brown Bear, Brown Bear
• Singing along with Five Little Ducks
• Asking questions like, “What do you think will happen next?”
• Letting your child tell you the story from the pictures

It means creating a home culture where books are loved, stories are shared, and language is celebrated.

At our house, we’re in the thick of this. My kids are two and three years old, and while we’re not reading all day (life happens), we do read every chance we get. Books have become something they associate with safety, comfort, and time with mommy and daddy.

And over time, we’ve found a few little habits that make a big difference.

We Linger on the Cover Page

That first page (usually just a title and an illustration) has become our playground for observation and wonder.

With Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, it starts like this:

“What are these? Are they watermelons?!”
Giggles. “No, Daddy! Coconuts!”
“Ohhh, so this must be a coconut tree! How many coconuts?”
“Two!”
“Look at the leaves—what color is this one?”
“Green!”
“And this one?”
“Green!”
“Wait… how can they both be green if they look different?”
“That’s light green, and that’s dark green!”

All this before we even turn the page. Vocabulary, inference, humor, observation—it’s all there.

Observation is a skill we can nurture early. It’s why some people notice the details in an art masterpiece, while others just keep walking.

Making Up Our Own Stories.

One of their favorites is about a hungry tiger walking through the jungle.

“The bush rustled… and out jumped—what jumped out?”
“A rabbit!”
“The tiger thought…?”
“Too small!”
“So he let the rabbit go and kept walking. Then he heard a slither... and out came?”
“A snake!”
“The tiger thought…?”
“Too long!”

They love the pattern, the suspense, the control of filling in the blanks. It’s not just storytelling, it’s co-creating. And that sense of agency builds both joy and confidence.

But My Kid’s Not Interested…

They might not be...yet. Some kids gravitate naturally toward books. Others need a bit more coaxing.

Try letting them choose the book. Let them interrupt. Let them move while you read aloud. Let them see you read for fun.

Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for connection.

Reading together is not just academic. It’s relational.
It’s the ritual before bed. The giggle in the car ride. The quiet magic of a rainy afternoon.

10+ Books to Start

Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you!

Here are some of our favorites to build your family library:

For toddlers:

• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• Wolf Won't Bite by Emily Gravett
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

For preschoolers:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

To build phonics and early decoding:

• Bob Books by Bobby Lynn Maslen
• Usborne My First Reading Library
• Doodling Dragons by Denise Eide

To spark participation and storytelling:

• From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
• Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills

More than tools, they’re invitations. Each book is a door. Your voice is the key.

From One Caring Parent to Another

We know parenting is exhausting. Some nights, just getting teeth brushed feels like a victory.

But we promise: reading early is worth it.

Start small.
One book. One night. One laugh.

Because when you teach your child to read, you’re not just teaching them letters.
You’re teaching them to think. To feel. To dream.

And that might just be the most powerful gift you ever give.

David Yi is one of the world’s leading voices in gifted education. As co-founder of GiftedTalented.com and former head of Asia for ACT.org and K12.com, he has spent 20+ years building breakthrough programs for high-potential students across Asia and the US.