How to Encourage Kids to Read

Getting kids excited about reading from an early age is important not only to help them academically in the near future, but also to promote a lifelong love of reading that kids will carry with them into adulthood. If you’re looking for ways to encourage your child to read, try some of these tips:

Read to Them

Reading to young kids is a great way to get kids excited about the concept of reading. Kids will love spending story time with mom and dad, and not only does this make for a great bonding experience, it allows you to start educating your kids about reading from an early age. Move your finger under words while you read them to show that the words have meaning, and place extra emphasis on the effect of punctuation on pacing. Ask questions about the story to keep them involved, or draw pictures together of characters and events in the story.

Cater to Their Interests

A great way to spur interest in reading for older, more advanced readers is to provide them with books on topics they’re interested in. Take your kids to the library and help them browse for books on their favorite animal, for example. Enlist the help of the librarian so kids can learn how to browse on their own in the future. Catering to personal interests can also be very helpful in inspiring an interest in reading in kids who can read but choose not to. They may only be choosing not to because they associate reading with school and homework.

Positive Feedback

For kids who are having difficulty with reading, there’s nothing better than positive feedback. Help them with reading homework and provide plenty of encouragement along the way. Set up reward systems that encourage kids to work on their reading skills. For example, for every certain number of books they read, the child gets taken out for ice cream.