Successful reading leads to successes in academics and gives kids a solid start in life. In fact, recent research shows that kids who read at least 15 minutes a day have accelerated reading gains. No matter how diligent you are at supporting reading, sometimes your kids resist. Books have to compete with those oh-so-scintillating devices, video games, and TV streaming apps.
Why not shake things up a bit and try some stealthy ways to hook a book lover? The following 10 ideas are sure to win over the most reluctant reader.
1. Free stuff! If your kids don’t believe you, ask Siri or Google, “What free stuff can kids earn by reading?” and oodles of items will pop up. By recording the titles they are reading, my children have earned these things free: Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizzas, frozen yogurt, books, and even amusement park tickets. One time my son turned in the most reading logs in our local summer reading program and got to be interviewed on the radio by a DJ! She gave him a basket of goodies, including movie tickets for our whole family.
2. Let the books out. Don’t cage them up on the shelves! Research shows that kids from print-rich homes are better readers, but it helps if the books and magazines are out where kids can see them.
When my son was eight, he announced that he didn’t want to read non-fiction books because they bored him. I checked out a big stack of nonfiction titles from the library and in my most nonchalant voice said to him, “You don’t have to read these, but I think I will. They seem very interesting.” I strategically placed the books throughout the house, concentrating on his favorite places. That kid read every book by the end of the week.
Put bins and baskets of books in the bathroom, in the car, and spread out books with inviting covers all over hard surfaces in your home.
4. Reward with extra bedtime reading. Have you noticed your child who has a plague-like aversion to reading during the day suddenly develops a fondness for reading when it’s time for bed? Why not embrace this motivation and let your child earn extra reading time at bedtime? If they read for a specified amount of time or read a certain number of books, extend lights out for a few minutes - as long as your child spends that time reading.
4. Make your book nook the envy of the neighborhood. Think tent with twinkle lights. Plump pillows. Comfy chairs. Make your child’s reading space as comfortable and inviting as you can. The most original reading space I’ve seen was at a school. It was a model of the fictional Narnia ship Dawn Treader. Kids climbed a ladder to a reading nook on top that was cushioned with carpet and pillows.
But you don’t have to get fancy - sometimes what adults think is simple is a kid’s reading castle. When my children were young, they draped a sleeping bag over the footboard of my queen-sized bed. Extending it from the back of the bed, they lapped it over a chair and then curled up with their books in the ‘reading fort.’ When reading time was over, we put everything away. Another fun thing my kids have done is build a ‘reading cave’ with old moving boxes.
5. Make it a double feature. New films come out that are inspired by books. If your child wants to see a movie that was based on a book, have them read the book first and then rent the movie and watch it together. Compare the two, and have your child explain which they liked better: the movie or the book.
6. Get graphic. I’m talking about graphic novels here. They may not be the conventional kind of books you grew up with, but graphic novels may draw your child into reading. And while you are mixing it up, let them read comic books. Oh, and throw in some audio books and let them read on a device sometimes. Imagine all of the possibilities that might engage your child in reading.
7. Let them order a magazine subscription. I let my daughter have a magazine subscription, and she chose Ask Magazine for science and art lovers. She reads every edition repeatedly, quoting facts and digging further into topics like poisonous plants and venomous animals. Magazine subscriptions that come specifically for the kids of the house make them feel grown up and tempt them to read.
8. Tickle a funny bone. From Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid to Peggy Parish’s Amelia Bedelia or Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine, a funny story is a good way to hook a book lover. And if you read a humorous book with your child, you might find yourself chuckling along, too.
9. Let there be light. Come on, don’t be so stuffy! Let them read with a flashlight under the covers (or try a little reverse psychology and forbid them to read with a flashlight under the covers). Also, there are a plethora of really cool reading lights in today’s universe. Headlamps are a unique option, and there are even book lights that keep track of minutes read.
10. Be a rock star reader yourself. Carve out time daily for your child to see you curling up with your favorite book or discussing a tidbit from a magazine. Model a reading life and your child will be more likely to embrace the same literature-loving values.
Janeen Lewis, M.Ed., is a writer, teacher, and mom to Andrew and Gracie. When she’s not trying to tame the whirlwind that is her life, you’ll find her curled up with a good book.
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