As a learning specialist, I get this question from almost every parent I meet–and I always appreciate it, since reading fluency is often predictive of academic outcomes, and reading frequently supports fluency. No matter the time of year, families have several options for helping kids spend more time reading. Relaxing on the couch with a great book is heaven to many adults — and plenty of kids! — but what if it sounds like torture to your child?
Before we dive into strategies, let’s define what “reading” means in this context. Many parents and teachers associate reading with fiction. Yet, any kind of reading is positive for kids’ development. Options like Minecraft encyclopedias, magazines, and emergency survival manuals may not be literature, but they can still give kids meaningful and relevant reading experiences.
Strategies to help children connect to literature
Familiarity and context matter. Ask your child to read the book jacket summary aloud. Read a few reviews together. 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 support this, 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.
Evaluate reading level. Children need reading material they can readily decode and comprehend. As a rule, the more independently a child is expected to read, the more closely the reading level of a text should match a child’s own reading level. In the classroom, teachers refer to a child’s independent, instructional, and frustration levels when it comes to describing how specific texts interact with a child’s current reading ability. One way for children to evaluate texts either independently or with help is what’s called the five-finger reading rule. Here are the steps:
- Choose a book
- Open it to any page with text
- Read the page, and count the number of words you don’t yet know:
- 0–1 words = too easy
- 2–3 words = just right
- 4 words = challenge
- 5 words = might be too hard
Limit competition. Reading is more challenging and produces less of an immediate brain response than video games, YouTube, or cartoons. In order to enjoy reading, kids need regular opportunities to be bored. That’s because reading is a natural antidote to boredom, but a poor competitor to more enticing activities. Promoting boredom and providing access to interesting books 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 that no book is out of bounds, and that all reading is good!
Create reading traditions or rituals. 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. Kids pick up on what adults do much more than what we say, so seeing a family member reading can make a big difference to kids. Adults who frequently read on a tablet or phone may wish to show kids what they’re reading to create a similar effect.
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. Many schools publish recommended reading lists, sometimes with links to online resources to obtain books at no cost.
Set expectations for graphic novels. For example, some families limit these to certain days or times, or for bringing 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. This advice might prompt questions about whether graphic novels are inherently less-than when compared to non-illustrated texts. In fact, graphic novels can be a great motivator for readers, but because they require less visualization effort and present the reader with less text on a page, they can sometimes resemble dessert more than a main course when it comes to the benefits of reading. Making them more of a treat allows kids to develop the boredom needed to motivate many readers to engage with more challenging texts at their reading level.
Use audiobooks. Particularly for children with reading challenges, listening while reading along in the text is enormously helpful. In addition to major commercial audiobook providers, many libraries offer apps with audiobook access, and there are resources available specifically 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, and families may be able to set one up with a few children with similar interests.
Don’t forget non-fiction. Some people just aren’t into fiction, and some of those people are kids! Magazines, animal encyclopedias, books on Pokémon, golfing manuals, Lego reviews — anything that sparks the child’s interest can work. Several news providers offer children’s news magazines, which offer the benefit of helping kids build their context knowledge. No matter the topic, engaging kids’ interest bests literary value when it comes to developing children’s motivation.
Making a plan
With all of the possible strategies for helping motivate children to read, it’s easy for families to lose sight of making a specific plan that can work for them. To get started, think about a plan that’s straightforward, has just one or two elements to start with, and that you can describe easily. For example, a parent might decide to set up a family reading night every Thursday, or a book breakfast twice per month on Saturdays. Other families might determine that they want to limit screen time on weekdays to allow children more time for boredom, while increasing the options for appealing books at home by scheduling a library visit twice per month. Don’t forget to include an option for parents to read, too – that demonstrates that reading is truly for everyone.
Katharine Hill, MS, MAT, ET/P, is a learning specialist and educational therapist in private practice in Brooklyn, NY, who has twenty years of experience working in K–12 and higher education. upnext.nyc