10 Ways to Get Kids Reading
Plus three reasons why it’s ok that not every child loves literature
How can I get my kid to read more?
Parents asked this question at least weekly when I worked in schools, and I always appreciated it. Reading fluency is often predictive of academic outcomes, and reading frequently supports fluency. Heading into winter break, and winter in general, we’re in an optimal period for kids to spend more time reading. Snuggling on the couch with a cozy book sounds like heaven to many adults — and plenty of kids! — but what if it sounds like torture to your child?
I’ll get to the strategies in a moment, but first, some thoughts that I hope will comfort anyone whose struggles to get their child to read feel particularly painful:
One, I’ve known many — many! — kids who didn’t read for pleasure, yet who have turned into capable, happy adults. Two, it’s not uncommon for kids who dislike reading for fun to pick it up at the age of twelve, or seventeen, or fifty-four. Successful children’s author Rick Riordan recounts his later-in-adolescence conversion to reading in this Times video, which, at just five minutes, is worth a watch. Three, many of us associate “reading” with fiction, yet actually any kind of reading is positive for kids’ development. Minecraft encyclopedias, Sports Illustrated, and backwoods survival manuals may not be literature, but they are legitimate reading material. What’s really most important is that kids have access to text that they find meaningful and relevant.
But I really want my child to read more literature!
Here are some ways to make it happen:
+ Start in infancy. I’m sort of kidding, but not really, and I say it not to guilt anyone but because it’s true. The longer we delay or limit screens, and the more we read aloud, the easier it is to keep kids connected to reading of all kinds as they get older.
+ Familiarity and context matter. Have a child read the blurb. Read a few reviews aloud. Read the first chapter or two aloud to the child. Make sure the context is clear: A reluctant reader needs to know who the characters are, what the setting is, and what the plot is about in order to connect with the story and enjoy it. To this end, emphasize that it’s fine to read the first chapter over a few times before moving on to the rest of the story. Too often, kids understand reading as completely linear, but re-reading is actually highly valuable for helping boost understanding and enjoyment.
+Limit competition. Reading is harder and produces far, far less of a dopamine rush than video games or YouTube videos. In order to enjoy reading, kids need regular opportunities to be bored, because reading is a natural antidote to boredom, but a very poor competitor to significantly flashier or more enticing activities. Promote boredom and provide access to interesting books, and you will gradually create an environment where reading can thrive.
+ Keep picture books around. An emotional connection to reading drives most readers, and many kids enjoy connecting with books they read more frequently as younger children. Pulling out a too-young-for-you book and reading it to a child provides a nice moment of nostalgia, and it also demonstrates viscerally that no book is out of bounds, and that all reading is good.
+ Read in front of kids. Set up a time when everyone in the house reads, adults included. It can be weekly, or a pop-up holiday, but if there’s cocoa and it’s cozy, and you insist on it in a good-natured way, it builds up the habit. (And if we’re not visibly reading ourselves, it may undermine our claims that reading is important, at least in kids’ minds.) Adults who frequently read on a phone may wish to show kids what they’re doing to create a similar effect: “Look! I’m reading the newspaper!” (waves phone authoritatively).
+ Ask librarians for advice. School librarians in particular love to suggest books. They read all the time, they know what’s out there, and they know what kids with similar interests have enjoyed. Arm yourself with a list of your child’s interests and ask!
+ Set expectations for graphic novels. For example, limit these to certain days or times, or for taking to appointments where kids may have to wait. If you have young children, consider waiting to introduce graphic novels until they are readily reading non-illustrated chapter books independently. You might wonder if I’m saying graphic novels are inherently bad. I’m not. It’s more that they are the irresistible dopamine delivery system of the literary world, and can easily edge out text-heavy options in a way that doesn’t provide kids with as much access to the benefits of reading.
+ Use audiobooks. Particularly for children with reading challenges, listening while reading along in the text is enormously helpful. In addition to the big commercial providers like Audible, there’s Learning Ally for people with documented learning disabilities. Playback speed can often be adjusted so it matches the child’s reading rate.
+Set up a book club. Particularly for sociable kids, reading and discussing with friends may help engage them in stories they wouldn’t care as much about on their own. Many librarians and teachers have experience running groups like this, including over Zoom, and when spread across a group of families, the cost can be pretty manageable.
+Don’t forget non-fiction. Some people just aren’t into fiction, and some of those people are kids! Magazines (even Reader’s Digest!), the aforementioned Minecraft encyclopedias, books on Pokémon, golfing manuals, Lego reviews — anything that sparks the child’s interest. A great resource for regularly delivered nonfiction kids’ news is The Week Junior, which delivers about 25 times per year and contains lots of high-interest news pieces. No matter the topic, interest bests literary value when it comes to developing kids’ enjoyment of reading.
Katharine Hill, MS, MAT | Learning Specialist & Parent Educator | upnext.nyc
