As parents, we all want our children to develop a love of reading that will enrich their lives and support their learning. But for many kids, getting excited about books can be a challenge. The key is to make reading fun, engaging, and accessible. Here are some creative ways to encourage reading and inspire your child to dive into books with enthusiasm!
1. Create a Comfortable Place for Reading
Children tend to respond well to routine and familiar things. Our grandson has a special place on a beanbag where he likes to read books. We’ll plop down on the beanbag for reading. He also has a small bookshelf in his room. He chooses the books that we will read that night before bed. We also have a special couch in the family room that is a favorite place for many of our grandchildren to cuddle up to read. I am glad that we have kind of a special book-nook place to read with a child one-on-one or a regular place to read when a number of grandchildren are around. That comfortable place to read is part of the routine that makes reading special!
2. Family Reading Time
Set a time to do your reading. Make it a daily thing. You set the tone by showing your children that reading is important to you. Celebrate the reading with a snack afterward. Make sure it is a family thing and talk about “family” reading time!
3. Let Them Choose Their Own Books
I personally got tired of reading the same book sometimes multiple times a day, by the smile on my child’s face, I knew it brought them joy! Sometimes in life, there are few things that a child may have any control over, let choosing a book to read be one of those! It will help them enjoy reading even more.
4. Read Aloud—Even to Older Children
We read some book series together as a family. We took turns reading and enjoyed listening as our older children read voraciously to get to the end of the story. Reading aloud helped our children visualize and enjoy the stories.
5. Discuss The Books With Your Children
Talk about your favorite parts and sometimes the questionable parts. Ask a child if they would have made that choice if it were them. Help them find empathy for the character or help them be reassured that they would make a better choice than the person in the story.
6. Create a Reading Chart
We found a simple chart on the wall made a big difference in how much some of our children wanted to read. I gave them stars, stickers, or just boxes to fill in. We have charted books read, pages read, or even minutes spent reading. Just make a start on a chart. You can grab an easy-to-use PDF just below this paragraph. Use it as it is or use it as a model to make your own. Just download the template below.
Here are some great Halloween Books to consider reading with your child!
