Reading can be one of the best ways for a child to learn so many useful things. They can learn new words, learn about new places, learn new information, develop new thoughts and ideas, and learn to use their imagination. And that is just the start!
But what do you do if your child doesn’t like to read or doesn’t want to read? Kids have a lot of demands on their time, for example, school and activities. After a long day of sitting in a classroom or kicking a ball around a soccer field, it can be hard for children to find the time and motivation to read.
We have five ideas for you to help encourage your child to want to read and to help them learn to love reading.
Set a Goal
First up, try setting a goal for reading time. Kids need time to play with their friends, do their chores and homework, or have free time to watch TV or play a video game. You don’t want to exhaust them by adding one more item to their to-do list. Setting a short time limit on what you expect them to read gives them an achievable goal. For example, start out with 5, 10, or 15 minutes a day. Set them in a quiet place and set a timer for them. When they get to a point where the timer goes off and they want to finish their paragraph or chapter, then gradually add more time to their goal.
Create a Fun Place for Them to Read
Maybe your child is happy reading in their room, at their desk, or at the kitchen table. For some children, having a dedicated quiet space to read in can help them look forward to their reading time. You can create a tent out of a chair and blankets or clear out space in a closet (just make sure they have good lighting!). If the weather is nice, you can send them outside. Maybe they have a treehouse, or you can work together and build a fort, or even place a chair under a tree. Anything will work, if they consider it their space and it’s quiet with no distractions.
Give Them an Incentive
Incentives can go a long way towards helping a child learn to love reading. You can make up your own incentive program or find one in your area. The idea of being rewarded for achieving a goal can encourage a child to want to do more. For example, if for every book they read you gave them $2, they might do the math and read 10 books to earn $20. While money can end up being an expensive incentive, we hope you get the idea. The more they read to get their incentive, the more natural reading becomes, and the more they’ll want to read without any incentive at all.
Some ideas for creating your own incentive plan could be:
- For every book or set number of books they read, or every set amount of time they spend reading, they get:
- Dinner in front of the TV
- Pick something fun they want to do on the weekend
- Receive a “get out of a chore” card
- Extra pizza nights
- They can choose their own lunch
- Extra TV, computer, or video game time
- Money
- A new toy
- They purchase their next book at a bookstore
One thing we do suggest with the incentive plan is to set up boundaries. Depending on the age of your child, determine how long each book should be in order for them to earn their incentive. This isn’t just about reading quick and easy books to grow their piggy bank or get out of chores; it’s also about improving their reading abilities.
Join in With Their Reading
This one requires time from an adult or family member, but it can really help children enjoy the experience of reading. Rather than having your child read alone, try reading with them or to them.
Have them choose a book and read it aloud to you. Maybe even have them act it out for you. Whether you are reading to them or they are reading to you, ask them questions at moments where it won’t interrupt their concentration.
This works best with younger kids and picture books, such as early readers. As they read aloud, try asking them questions before they turn the pages, such as “What do you think will happen next?” Or ‘What do you think so-and-so will do or say?’ Asking questions will also help them understand better what they are reading.
You can also try reading to your child, just to get them started. Try acting out the voices and the characters to keep them more engaged.
You can also grab your own book and sit beside them, reading your book while they read theirs. Sometimes, seeing others doing the same thing they are asked to do helps them realize it’s not such a bad thing after all! Plus, you get to spend some extra time with them.
Book Trips
Going to a bookstore can be a lot of fun, especially when you get to pick your own books to buy. If your child is at a place where reading is exciting for them, a bookstore can be a great way to grow their very own book collection.
A less expensive option could be a trip to the library. This way, your child can get as many books as they want, and all for free.
If trips to a bookstore or library aren’t interesting to your child, try finding them a fun tote to hold their books. You can buy one already made, or if you’re crafty, help them decorate their own. Having their own dedicated bag just for books can be enough to excite children about filling it up.
The world of books can be such a magical place, and we hope you’ll find these tips useful in introducing your child to this amazing world. We’ve tried and tested these ideas with our own children (with time and patience), and we’ve enjoyed watching our children grow from struggling to read to not being able to get them to put their book down!
Happy reading!
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