How to Instill a Love of Reading in Your Child

Research shows that reading not only increases one’s vocabulary and analytical skills, but also their memory and ability to focus.1 It’s never too late to encourage a love of reading in your child. You are your child’s first and most important teacher, and whether your child is a preschooler or a teenager, there are things you can do to gently guide them to loving to read. 

1- Be the Example: You are the best example for your child of why to read. Point out when you are reading a recipe, directions, or the local news, and include your child in a conversation about those things. Whether you are reading for pleasure or to learn something new, make it a point to do those things in front of your child. 

2- Make Reading a Family a Habit: Set aside 15 min a day to read. What I used to do was take my children to the library and let them pick out a few books each. We’d then have reading time each day where we sprawled out in the living room and each read our books to ourselves. If your child doesn’t read yet, this is a time for you to read to them. Were my kids always happy to read at that time? No, but once they realized it was non-negotiable, it started to become a habit. During this time, make sure that everyone sets their phones to do not disturb or turns them off altogether. I’m sure you can figure out for yourself that less distractions equal less stress and better focus, but if you need research to back up this idea, you can turn to multiple studies that back up this fact. One key study “demonstrated that interruptions during reading tasks cause a decrease in comprehension accuracy and an increase in the time required to read and understand the material. This study found that even brief interruptions, such as a short conversation or a notification on a digital device, can lead to a loss of focus and a decline in comprehension performance.”2

Photo by Mark Zamora on Unsplash

3- Read Aloud: No child is too old to be read aloud to. By reading aloud to your child, you are not only spending quality time with them, but you are also removing the burden of the task of reading and allowing your child to simply listen. Some children may need to be doing something with their hand like drawing or building while listening, so allow those activities, if needed. When my children were younger, I read my favorite childhood books to them like “The Velveteen Rabbit,” by Margery WIlliams or “Where the Wild Things Are,” by Maurice Sendak. Once older, we moved onto series like Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. Use reading aloud to spark conversation about the characters or situations encountered in the story. Ask your child what they would do if they were the character, ask about their favorite character, their favorite line from the story and so on. 

4- Partner Reading: Similar to reading aloud, try partner reading where you each take turns reading a page or chapter from a book. Encourage your child to use different voices for different characters, especially if acting is one of their passions. Like reading aloud, use this time to ask questions about the characters and plot, but don’t get too caught up in making it a teaching moment as the reading itself is the most important part.

5- Freedom of Choice: While school may have required summer reading or assigned books during the school year, allow your child to choose whichever books they want when visiting the library or bookstore or using a book app., within reason, of course. And, make it known that just because one chooses a book does not mean one has to finish it. Not every book is going to be well written or capable of holding your child’s attention. Give your child the freedom to quit reading a book if they find it boring, poorly written or unappealing in a different way. And, don’t get bothered if they focus on only one genre like graphic novels or science fiction. Your goal as a parent/caregiver is to help your child discover the joys and immense benefits of reading. 

6- Create a Reading Nook: Whether it be in your child’s bedroom or a corner of your living room, create a comfortable area for your child to read filled with their favorite pillows and blankets and a spot for their books. Use this spot to also leave books that you think your child might enjoy. You never know when they might flop down and make a happy discovery of the book you left out for them.

Photo by Catherine Hammond on Unsplash

7- Share the Story: Let your child use your phone or their own to create their own video book reviews that can be shared with friends and family. These can be as simple or complex as your child desires. Some children may even want to get dressed up as a character to deliver their review. Help your child figure out catchy lead-in to get the viewer excited about the material. 

Creating a culture of reading in your home will benefit not only your child, but also yourself.

by Dalissa McEwen, PALCS Region 1 Family Ambassador

Citations:

1 Cunff, A.-L. L. (2024, April 4). The reading mind: Surprising science-based benefits of reading everyday. Ness Labs. https://nesslabs.com/benefits-of-reading

2 Foroughi, C. K., Werner, N. E., Barragán, D., & Barragán, D. A. (2015). Interruptions Disrupt Reading Comprehension. Apa.org. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/xge-0000074.pdf