How to Get Your Kids to LOVE Reading
Do you find yourself struggling with getting your kids to read independently? Are you fighting every night at bedtime to get those homework reading minutes finished? Are you wondering how you get your kids to actually LOVE reading?
Reading doesn’t come easy for most and it’s normal to see that push back from kids, especially after a long day of learning at school.
I have dedicated my career to teaching reading to struggling readers. Over the years, I have learned what motivates young readers and inspires them to read more! Reading doesn’t have to be work! Keep scrolling to see my top ways to get your child willingly reading in their free time.
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Teach Your Monster to Read
This FREE game is a great educational addition to the tablet. Your children will beg to play this game!
Teach Your Monster To Read is a fun and engaging way to teach phonics and decoding. Your children will love to read with their monsters.
You can choose the level for your child to begin, depending on their knowledge of letter sounds.
This app tracks your child’s progress, and moves up in difficulty in a systematic way to help teach your child decoding skills.
Try it out and comment what you think!
Decodable Books They Love to Read
Decodable books are great for early readers. Decodable books are written with words that are easily readable based on your child’s decodable knowledge.
Based on the science of reading and the extensive research that has been done, reading should be taught in a systematic way.
Decodable books are a fantastic way to empower your children by providing them with text that they have the skills to decode. Finding decodable books aligned with your child’s reading development is essential. Being able to read a book confidently is empowering!
Check in with your child’s teacher to know the specific skills they are working on. Then find a book that addresses these skills.
Bob’s Books are some of my favorite decodable books to use.
Love to Read to Your Pet (or Stuffies)
It is normal for your child to push back when asked to read out loud to a parent. They may worry about impressing the listener by making sure their reading is perfect. This is a lot of weight to carry for an early reader and is totally normal.
The number one complaint I hear from parents of the students I tutor is that their child refuses to read for them and in turn, shuts down. It becomes a huge power struggle and then the joy of reading is taken away.
How about trying a different audience for your child to read to?
Do you have a pet that loves to snuggle up with your child? Encourage your child to read to their pet. This is a great way to spark your child’s love of reading, by getting rid of the pressure of reading to a parent.
No pet? No problem! Have your child create their own audience with stuffies, toy cars, dolls, etc.
Cozy Reading Nook
We all know children love to build forts! Creating a hidden, cozy spots for your child is a great way to make reading fun! Get creative and build a cool fort. Or if you have one, try pitching a tent inside. My kids LOVE when we do this.
Add flashlights, cushions, blankets and load it up with all sorts of different books. Give your child time to explore the books on their own or climb in and read your book while they read theirs!
Your kids will love to read in this space.
Consistent Dedicated Reading Time
Children strive with a consistent routine.
Incorporate at least 15 minutes of reading time in your schedule each day.
Set the time before school, after school, or before bed as dedicated reading time. This will become a positive and expected part of their routine and will help to develop their love for reading.
Get Your Child a Library Card
Did you know your kids can sign up for their very own library card? I always thought they were for the adults but once I had kids, I learned they are available for kids too!
Signing up my young kids for their own library cards made them feel so responsible and empowered. This really helped my kids to develop their love for books and reading.
A library visit is a great way to instill good reading habits into your children. Children have the opportunity to learn about the variety of books, and it gives them the independence to look for books that spark their interests.
The library also offers tons of classes from babies through adulthood. Check out your local library’s calendar to see what events they have planned for this month.
The library is one of our favorite places to visit as a family. There is endless amounts of fun for FREE!
Find The Genre They Love to Read
The beauty of reading is having the ability to really learn about whatever you want. With the ability to read, you open up endless opportunities for yourself.
What better way to practice reading than with a book you actually WANT to read.
Take a trip to the local library and guide your child through each section.
Nonfiction, fiction, graphic novels, picture books, mysteries, the options are plentiful. Finding a genre that your child enjoys will have them wanting to read more.
Play HORSE
Playing the basketball game HORSE is a fun way to practice spelling sight words or words with target sounds.
Maybe your child is learning the /ch/ sound this week. Play the game HORSE but instead of spelling ‘horse’ spell the word ‘chat’ as it incorporates the target sound.
Don’t like basketball? No problem. Get creative and think of other games where you could incorporate the spelling and encoding of words.
Start a “Read Aloud” Together
I have so many fond memories of my elementary school teachers reading aloud to our class. I loved hearing their expressions and it helped me to imagine the story so much more.
Research also shows that having someone read aloud to you is just as impactful to your reading development as if you were reading it to yourself. Starting a Read Aloud with your child before bed not only helps with their reading, it helps to strengthen a positive relationship with your child.
My first grade boy loved all of the Roald Dahl books as his words are so descriptive and imaginative. Finding a Read Aloud for you and your child is an easy way to get your child to love reading!
Model Good Reading Habits
How often are you demonstrating good reading habits throughout your day?
Our children look to us as a model and in turn, behave similarly as we do. It is hard to put our devices down because it is so easy to access all of our information immediately.
In turn, I constantly see parents in the local Facebook parenting groups asking for advice on how to decrease their child’s screen time. “They are addicted!”, “They don’t know how to play independently!” “Getting them to read is a struggle!”.
But in actuality, our children are just mimicking what they see and what they know and developing addicting habits. We can’t expect our children to want to read if we aren’t doing it either.
How do you show your love for reading to your kids? Why not model healthy reading habits? Grab the local newspaper and read that instead of accessing the news on your phone.
During down time, grab a book that sparks your interest. It doesn’t have to be a novel or something long but by modeling these habits daily, your child will be eager to model your behavior.
It’s a win-win situation.
Final Words on Getting Your Kids to Love Reading
Reading doesn’t have to be a power struggle. Find ways to incorporate reading into your family’s daily lives. Remove the pressure and make it fun! Your child will LOVE to read in no time.
