You’ve long heard the party line: If you fill a young child’s bookcase with a mix of good books and read to him daily, you’ll raise a reader. So you stock up on pop-ups, fables, classics and award winners and diligently perform the voices in Horton Hears a Who! and Where the Wild Things Are at your preschooler’s bedtime. But surprise—your little guy isn’t always captivated by your selections, and you’ve yet to see him pick up books and flip through them on his own. What gives? Nature, that’s what. As a parent you can certainly do a lot to nurture your young reader, but genetics and its interaction with the environment you create also play a part in the process, according to recent research conducted by Philip Dale, PhD, chair of the department of speech and hearing sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. While at his previous position at the University of Missouri, Dr. Dale, along with two British collaborators, studied longitudinal data on more than 3,000 pairs of twins to find out what determines a preschooler’s passion for books. What the study showed: “Genes help determine a child’s interests, while environment acts as the specialist,” he says. This means that children are more than just passive receptors of outside cues. You may choose some excellent books to read to him and pick appropriate times and places to do it, but it’s your preschooler’s innate likes and dislikes that motivate him and will ultimately determine the success of your choices. You can help your child develop skills by creating an environment filled with books and reading, but he’s more apt to enjoy the ride and go further if you tailor your approach to his tastes. Realize that not all kids are genetically prone to like what their parents like. So keep an open mind, says Dr. Dale. Does he go for bugs or mermaids or dinosaurs? Is he more enamored with his rubber duck than his puzzle about trucks? Does he respond to realistic pictures or does he dig cartoons? Let these preferences help you find books he’ll relish. “Also remember that when reading to your child, there are two people involved in the dance,” Dr. Dale adds. So be attentive to his cues. If he squirms while you read, try to figure out why. It could simply be that he wants to go slowly and talk about every page, or he’d prefer to turn the page himself, or sit on a chair rather than your lap, or he’d rather read in the morning than at night. Dr. Dale reminds us: “Good parenting is about being responsive to your child’s style and interests.”   

Find His Inner Bookworm Explore the library. Let your child scan the shelves of picture books and choose the ones that strike his fancy.

Make storytime playtime. Tickle his funny bone—and his interest—with books that play with language, using silly rhymes and funny sounds. It’s no wonder Dr. Seuss has been so successful.

Give him a sign. Many little kids love stickers and labels. Create them for items in his room (desk, cars, shirts) so he can read and learn the words.