For some children, reading might not be their choice of activity or they may struggle to read books that are not interesting to them. The good news is there are several ways you can make reading more enjoyable for your children. The below tips can help make reading feel less like a task and more of a reward, which will, over time, help them grow their essential reading skills. We hope these ideas will help your children become more excited about reading!
Let your child use a magnifying glass
Using a magnifying glass can be a fun way to help your child search for certain words or letters in a book. This is a great way to encourage a reluctant child to interact with a book. Have your child use the magnifying glass to “hunt” for certain words (find every time ‘the’ is on the page) or letters (find every time the letter ‘s’ is on this page). Make sure to praise your child each time they find the word or letter they are hunting for!
Dress up as the character of the book
This is a fun way to get the whole family involved! When reading a book that has multiple characters, have everyone dress up as the characters and act out the book. This is a fun, interactive way to have everyone support your little reader. This can build enthusiasm by allowing your child to express creativity.
Start a book club
Starting a book club is a great way to motivate your child to read different books and to build a reading community. This allows your children and others to enjoy reading together. It also empowers book discussions and conversations between parents and children.
Make treats mentioned in books
Making treats mentioned in books is another engaging way to spark enthusiasm about reading. For example, try making green eggs and ham while reading Dr. Seuss or bake a lemon meringue pie while reading “Amelia Bedelia.” Trust us – this small act can make the book ten times more fun to read!
Encouraging a reluctant reader can be a challenging task for any parent, but once your child starts to enjoy reading, it will be a thrill to watch them grow their reading skills. They will even start to pick out books without your help! ALLMemphis encourages parents and guardians to keep reading part of their little readers’ routine year-round. If you want to get a jump-start on new books, we suggest our full-length decodable books. These books cover the entire scope of foundational literacy. Click here to learn more and order your set.