Five Ways to Encourage Your Kids to be Readers
I think one of the most frustrating things as a parent is wanting to pass on something to our kids and having them take no interest in it whatsoever.
Like reading…
When I was a kid reading was an essential part of my life. I know there was a time when I couldn’t sound out words and recognize them on the page. But since I was always looking at books, going from looking at pictures on the page to reading the words that accompanied them must have been seamless because I don’t recall a distinction between the two.
When my kids were little I used to worry that they wouldn’t be readers. You hear all the time about people who hate to read or struggle with reading. What if one or all of my kids ended up like that? I REALLY WANTED them to be readers, not just because I am, but because I wanted them to enjoy the experience of an independent adventure. Something they can experience all on their own without requiring anyone else’s help or interpretation.
My worry about my own kids started when my oldest showed absolutely no interest in books other than to tear them up. I never saw a baby who could tear up a board book like him. I worried less about my second son until the day I realized that the only reason he brought a book over for me to read was because he wanted to sit in my lap. Never mind the story, he just wanted an excuse to sit in mom’s lap. But what about the day when he was no longer was interested in sitting in my lap?
As I pondered this, I got to thinking about what things as a child turned me into a reader. I don’t believe there’s a formula to get kids to become readers, especially for those who struggle, but I think there are some things parents can do to encourage a love of books even if there are other things a child finds more interesting.
Focus on a love of STORIES, not just books.
This one may feel counter-intuitive, especially considering that it’s a love of BOOKS that we’re after, but consider this: Why do most people have a love for books? Generally, it’s a thirst for knowledge and/or a love of being told a story.
Stories come in many forms. I received a first-hand example of this before I had kids and worked as a librarian assistant. I had the opportunity to attend the Texas Library Association’s conference one year. In one session they did a panel with authors of children’s graphic novels. I’d always had a bit of a personal disdain for graphic novels up until that point because they always felt a little “less than” a “real” book. But I wanted to attend because I was curious and I knew that form of story was popular at the different libraries where I’d worked. The panel included Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Lady books and Shannon Hale, who is best known for her book Princess Academy but had recently authored the graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge and was on the verge of debuting her Calamity Jack book. During the session Shannon thanked the librarians in the room through tears for being willing to include graphic novels in their library collections because there were kids out there who wouldn’t pick up a “normal” book but would read something that looked like a comic strip.
I decided from that point on that I would look at graphic novels with less disdain because obviously without them, many kids wouldn’t even touch a book. Because the text is part of the picture, it’s not as scary to read and doesn’t feel like an effort because the pictures help tell the story.
I witnessed this first hand with my oldest when he came home from school one day and declared that he really liked the Dog Man series by Doug Pilkey, author of the famed Captain Underpants series. From the outside, the books look like a regular chapter book, but the pages are in graphic novel form. My son enjoys reading this style of book so much I got him the Treasure Island graphic novel because he loved the story after having seen the movie. One day I hope he’ll pick up the original book, but for now I’m just happy that he’s enjoying discovering stories on his own.
2. Let them watch movies.
This goes hand in hand with item #1 but I believe it deserves a mention on its own. I realize that even suggesting encouraging screen time to some parents would be like suggesting you exclusively serve your kids doughnuts for breakfast every day. But hear me out. This may seem like the antithesis of what to do to get your child reading, but I promise you from personal experience IT’S NOT. It’s all in how you approach it.
Picking movies or TV shows that are based on books or have book companions is a good start. My boys are excited to read books that have familiar characters like Curious George or Clifford the Big Red Dog (both characters who have been around for a while in children’s literature) because they’ve seen them on the screen. Reading the books for them is just an extension of seeing their friends in the TV series.
I’ve been introduced to books that I never knew existed thanks to movies. Growing up, if there was a film that my dad really liked, he would always seek out the book it was based on because he felt that most times the books was always better. Several times in my childhood I recall him asking me to check to see if the library had a certain book the next time I went. Most times it was a book on which a film he’d seen was based. I picked this up from him and have been introduced to books I never knew existed if I hadn’t seen the film first. Now that I’m an adult, if I find that there’s a book behind a movie, I’m much more likely to read it. And most times I TRY to read it before I see the film if I can.
I never would have picked up the Lord of the Rings books by JRR Tolkien if the films hadn’t been made. And as much as I love the films, the books are a worthy adventure in their own right. I also doubt that most fairy tales today would be on the public consciousness had it not been for Walt Disney treating us to the animated versions of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and many others. In fact, many of Disney’s greatest movies originated in a book.
In my family, we don’t have an iPad or let our kids play on our phones on a regular basis. Watching a movie IS screen time. It might be different for you, and that’s ok, but don’t write off screen time as completely destructive
The power of films to spark interest in reading books is one of the most underestimated things in the world of book enthusiasts today. Film marketers have already caught onto this by producing books with a special edition movie cover around the same time a film come out. They know the line between book enthusiasts and the love of a good movie is often very thin.
3. Put a bookshelf in their room and fill it with books.
Kids are smart, and they will find them, especially if it’s part of their domain. Do this from a young age and they won’t question why there’s a bookshelf in their room.
Fill the shelves with age-appropriate books of all kinds. Don’t hesitate to throw in a few that might be a level or two above where they’re currently reading. (Unless your child is young enough only for board books, then by all means wait!) As a kid, my bookshelves contained not only current books, but ones that had belonged to both my mom and grandmother. Stories are timeless and bookshelves should be the same. If you know their interests, include books that reflect those interests.
Eventually, let your kids decide what books they want to add to the collection. If they don’t express interest in books, don’t take it as a failure. You’ve accomplished the goal of making books part of their natural landscape, and that’s a step in the right direction.
Even if your child loves books, don’t be concerned if there are titles they never get around to reading. Let’s face it, how many of us as adults own books that we’ve never read? I remember having Paul Gallico’s The Snow Goose on my shelf for the longest time. It was a book that had belonged to my grandmother. I remember skimming through a few pages, but I never read it all the way through. Years later I was reintroduced to Paul Gallico’s books as an adult and I remembered who he was because I had that book on my shelf as a kid.
4. When they ask you to read them a book, just do it.
This is a hard one for me because it always seems like my kids want me to read to them at the most inconvenient times. There are times I have to say no, but I try to say yes as much as I can. I have no idea when they’re going to ask again. I could be the next day, or weeks later.
As inconvenient as it is to have to put things aside to read a book, I’ve learned that most things can wait a couple minutes. And, typically, if one child requests me to read a book, it turns into a party because the others soon join us. I try to remember that kids don’t stay little for long and one day none of them will want to sit on my lap.
Some people do a regular book before bed. If this works for you, then do it. I think it’s a great night time routine. With my boys, I’ve found that keeping our bedtime routine as simple as possible is what works best. As someone who grew up with having a bedtime story read, this was a hard switch for me, but I believe you have to focus on what works for your family.
Sometimes kids don’t want a book read to them as much as they just want to be with you, like my middle son. This is ok too. Books are versatile in that they can be enjoyed alone or shared together, and if books are what help to bring a little more comfort into my kid’s lives, then so be it. It’s a great time to engage them and ask questions about the story or what’s in the pictures. Some kids who can’t read yet might enjoy making up their own story with the pictures even if it has nothing to do with the actual story. I say anything that encourages fostering the imagination is a win.
5. When your kids ask you for a book, buy it for them or find it at the library.
Depending on your finances, buying a book may not always be possible, but if it is, take note if your kid asks you for one. Keep a list for birthday or Christmas if necessary. My son’s elementary school does a book fair every year and they encourage the parents to come in and buy books for their kids. While I’m all for supporting the school and buying books for kids, I cringe at the price tag. I know if I do some price comparison shopping online I can get most of the books for far less. The school encourages the kids to fill out a wish list with books they want, so I save it and use it as a gift purchase list for down the road.
Growing up, we had a book catalog that came to our house every summer that I would pore over when it arrived. My mom would hand me a pen and I’d circle the books that interested me. In most cases, those books would end up under the Christmas tree as gifts from extended family. I still remember the year I felt like I hit the jackpot when I asked for a whole series of eight books and unwrapped them for Christmas that year. That series lasted me from the end of December all the way until spring.
Unless it’s a book that you as a parent truly find objectionable or age inappropriate, you should feed your child’s book interests. The biggest issue often comes when a child shows an interest in a book that we as a parent personally don’t find interesting. I truly could care less about the Dog Man series. But those are what my son likes and I respect the fact he has his own opinions and preferences.
I think there’s a fine line between encouraging our kids to read what they enjoy and wanting to see them like what we enjoy. I know I wouldn’t have appreciated my parents insisting that I read things that only interested them, so I show my kids the same respect. I think the beauty of raising kids is getting to watch someone grow and develop with our own DNA who is inherently different from us.
Some parents take their kids to the library regularly, and I think that’s a great opportunity to let your kids make their own selections. Even if all your kids are interested in are the movies or the toys in the children’s library, I can think of worse places to let your kids play. It might scare some parents to think of turning their kid loose to look for books in the library, but it really is a great step toward giving children independence and letting them make their own choices. If the vast amount of books intimidates your children, help them find a section of books with things they enjoy like trucks or a favorite storybook character. Most children’s librarians these days are happy to help with that too and may have other recommendations based on what interests your child.
There’s no harm in starting to let kids take some baby steps toward choosing what they like. Your child is going to be out on their own someday and letting them experience making their own choices early is only going to help them get more ready for that day. Even if they never become a “reader”, giving them that sense of independence with books will only aid them in the long run and maybe even think that reading is their own idea.
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