11 Ways to Motivate Your Kids to Read

Teaching them how to read is one of the greatest gifts you could give your children. It is a skill that they will use all their lives, whether reading a recipe, an instruction manual or road signalization.

To some kids, reading comes naturally. For others, it feels like a chore. How can you motivate your children to read?

1 – Storytime

Start reading to your children very early on, even while in the womb. Continue the habit once they are born and while they grow up. Storytime should be fun and relaxing. Adapt the books according to their age.

2 – Teach Them to Read

Once they are old enough to learn how to read, teach them; do not wait for them to learn at school. Start with magnetic letters on the fridge, then move on to syllables, then words, then sentences. Make it fun and motivate them with small treats when they reach certain goals.

3 – Preach by Example

If your kids never see you read, they’ll never develop the taste for it. Set the example by reading regularly. If you frequently read and enjoy it, they will likely enjoy it too.

4 -Have Them Help

Have them use their reading skills to help you out. It can be as simple as having them read out the ingredients of a recipe. They will be glad to help and will see how useful reading is.

5 – Make Games of It

Make reading a fun experience. Do a treasure hunt with written clues along the way, or play board games that require a bit of reading.

6 –Find Their Interest

Not everyone has the same interests, and that goes for kids too. One child might like comic books, while another will love books on trains. Find out what each of your children likes, and get books that fit their center of interest.

7 – Read-Along Storybooks

Get your children read-along storybooks. They can hear the narrator while following in their book. It’s an easy and fun way to help them with their reading skills, and it helps them with pronunciation.

8 – Go to the Library

Bring your children to the library when there are activities or workshops for kids. They will associate the library with fun. Get them their library card and let them borrow books of their own choosing.

9 -Make a Reading Nook

Have a great variety of books and magazines available for your kids, and make sure they have a comfortable place to read them. Have them help you to make their reading nook. If it’s to their taste and they love spending time in it, it will motivate them to read. 

10 – Talk About Books

Talk to your kids about the books they are reading. Ask them which character they prefer, and what they would do in that situation.

11 – Do Activities With Books

Bring books to life. If your child is reading about planets and stars, go to the planetarium. If they are reading a story with farm animals, bring them to a petting zoo where they will interact directly with the animals in their book. You can also have them read a book, then watch the movie together.

Do Not Give Up

Some kids struggle more than others to read. If that is the case with your child, do not give up. Give them the tools they need to overcome their difficulties. Consult a professional if need be. Help them find reading material to their reading level, and that interest them. With time and patience, and help from you, your child will eventually, if not actually love reading, at least see the usefulness of reading well.