Reading is a great way for kids to learn about the world, develop communication skills, and develop focus skills, among other benefits. Which is why it’s always so sad when a kid appears to hate reading! Luckily, there are many different ways to help get your child interested in books! Check out these tips on How to Get Your Child Interested in Reading!
How to Get Your Child Interested in Reading
1. Let Them Read What They Like
First of all, if you want to get your child interested in reading, you’ll want to let them read what they like. Don’t try to force them to read Black Beauty or even Stuart Little if they don’t want to. We all have things we love to read, and things we don’t. So let your child read what they want to read, even if you feel they should be reading something else. And remember, there are actually many adults who claim it was only because of comic books that they got interested in reading novels!
2. Let Them See You Reading
Kids generally want to be like grown-ups. So if you want to get your child interested in reading, they should see you reading! Which means you reading before bed when your kid has been asleep for an hour doesn’t count. Try to read for 30 minutes every day when they’re home. They’ll see that it’s a normal grown-up thing to take time to read, and may decide to stop to read, too!
3. Read Together
If your child is very young, “read together” may mean literally together, with you reading all or some of the text. If your child is older but not interested in reading, read together means you’re in the same room, but reading different books. Sometimes kids just like hanging out with their parents, especially if their parents are usually busy, so they may come to cherish reading time. As a result, their feelings about reading may improve!
4. Guide Them Toward Books About Their Interests
If your child doesn’t seem interested in reading anything, you may need to help nudge them in the right direction. Try helping them to find books based on their interests. For example, if they like dinosaurs, let them find a book where the character is a dinosaur or fights dinosaurs. If they like sports, help them find sports books. If all else fails, try to find the book versions of their favorite movies! There’s a book genre/subject out there for everyone, you just have to help them find it!
5. Take Them to the Library
Sometimes a child just needs to be able to browse through a big selection in order to find books that they’re interested in. So if you want to get your child interested in reading, take them to the library! You may also want to let them search through Amazon’s eBook library. If they find enough books on Amazon that they’re interested in, you may want to get a Kindle Unlimited membership and let them get tons of books to try!
6. Give Rewards
Lastly, don’t discount the benefit of using rewards as incentives. Sometimes kids just need something else motivating them. The reward shouldn’t be anything that will destroy your hard work (like a new game that they’ll play for hours instead of reading). But a trip out for ice cream or the promise of a movie night can be a great reading reward!
If you would like more information on ways to get your child interested in reading be sure to check out ABCmouse.com. I’ve used this successfully with my son and it helped increase his love of reading rather quickly! ABCmouse.com – First Month Free – Click here! By the way this link is an affilaite link, which means that I earn a commission if you do end up keeping this program. It’s at no extra cost to you and if you please have any questions related to this product, please let me know and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.
Happy reading!!
