How to Get Your Child to Love Reading (Over Screens)

For some people, reading is an adored pastime and for others a dull chore. My guess is if you’re a parent, you want your child to see reading as something they do for fun, not just because the teacher assigned it.

I have been an avid reader since I was 5 years old and brought a book with me everywhere. When my parents went out to dinner with their friends, I was often the only kid there and my entertainment? Reading. I have many memories of sitting in a Western Sizzler on Friday nights, curled up against the booth wall with a Nancy Drew paperback in my hands. As a devout reader and mother of three, I want to raise readers, especially in this digital age.

There are ways you can incorporate reading into children’s lives and encourage a love for books. It’s not meant to be a stressed, forced habit, but one that is gently encouraged and cultivated. You can get your child to love reading!

14 Tips for How to Get Your Child to Love Reading

1. Leave books everywhere

Simple enough, just start with owning plenty of books and have them readily available. Make books easy to find and children will often pick one up.

Ways to make books accessible

• Have a bookshelf in each child’s bedroom along with a nightstand where they can stack bedtime reading
• Have a bookshelf in the family room or playroom, basically wherever you spend a large amount of time
• Pile books on the kitchen counter or coffee table
• Keep a rotation of books in the car

2. Visit the library frequently

Books can be expensive and before you know it, a trip to Barnes and Noble will set you back quite a bit. Bookstores are great for browsing new releases or purchasing a favorite book that gets read over and over again, but the library is a mother (and reader’s) best friend.

Borrowing books from your local library is the best way to try out new books and, of course, have plenty of books without the cost. Not to mention the many other resources libraries offer such as storytime and reading challenges. Consistent visits to the library will naturally cull your child’s love for reading as it becomes part of their regular routine.

3. Let them read what they like

Pushing stories or genres you liked as a kid won’t work. Trust me. I’ve tried. I finally let go of encouraging Nancy Drew and Goosebumps and just let my kids choose books they enjoy.

Graphic novels, historical fiction, humorous silly stories, or real-life adventure…whatever your child reads just be happy they are reading! Don’t get caught up in exactly what.

4. Read aloud

Studies show reading aloud to children, from a very early age and even once they become independent readers, has a huge impact on their reading skills and interest. Get your child to love reading by actually reading to them! Even my 5th grader still enjoys a read-aloud story with me sometimes.

5. Listen to audio stories

Along the lines of reading aloud, listening to books-on-tape will also encourage your child’s love for reading. With audio stories, they imagine the characters and settings in their minds, which is part of what makes reading books so fun.

My family’s favorite audiobooks are Adventures in Odyssey. These are highly entertaining with interesting plots, character voices, and background noises (plus a positive lesson). Have a few CDs (if still use them) or streaming options in the car for family rides and all the drop-offs and pick-ups you are doing these days.

6. Model reading by being one yourself

We all know one of the best ways to create a certain behavior in your child is to model it yourself. If you want your child to love reading, show that you enjoy this activity too.

Try to avoid picking up your phone every time your kids are at the playground, a sports practice, the doctor’s waiting room, etc, and pick up a book or magazine instead. Set aside “quiet reading time” for everyone at home or during homework hour and participate as well.

7. Encourage bedtime reading

Scheduled bedtimes are critical to kid’s development and for proper sleep habits. Build-in an extra 10-15 minutes so they can read before lights out. Reading before bed is an excellent way to log daily reading time for kids (nothing heavy or school-required, just what they enjoy) and creates a natural “wind-down” before sleep.

8. Switch out books

As you would toys, clothing or recipes…exchange books in and out (another great reason to utilize the library for a rotation of new things to read). If you own a large number of books, stack old titles the kids haven’t read in a while beside their bed or on the coffee table. It’s like rediscovering an old friend!

9. Bring books everywhere you go

Avoid screens away from home and keep boredom at bay with a good book or fun magazine. Keep a steady supply of reading material in the car so everyone will have something when on the go.

Places to take books

• Out to a restaurant
• At a sibling’s sports practice or activity
• On vacation, the airport, hotel rooms
• Trips to the dentist or doctor (waiting rooms)
• Running errands with kids (i.e., car wash, grocery run, dry cleaning pickup)
• Anywhere there is “downtime”
• Road trips or long days in the car

10. Use a reading log or tracker

Use a reading log to track a child’s progress and create an incentive. Maybe even offer a prize for reaching goals. Even without a known prize, my daughter loves filling in her reading log. The sense of accomplishment is huge in creating a habit.

11. Set up a reading nook

Who can resist a cozy, comfy place to curl up with a good book? Encourage your child’s love for reading by creating a special spot in the house for this activity. Even just floor pillows and soft blankets will work.

12. Hide electronic devices

This is a tough one but can bring huge payoffs. Hiding electronic devices means out of sight, out of mind, and removes the temptation for a screen. By eliminating the option for an iPad or other device, a book is the next best thing for a quiet time activity.

13. It doesn’t have to be books

Traditional books don’t have to be the only way to read. Casually reading magazines (i.e., Sports Illustrated Kids, Highlights), catalogs, brochures, fact books (i.e., Guinness World Records), siblings’ books (even if above or below grade level) count as reading too.

14. Don’t force it

And finally, don’t force it. You can get your child to love reading by following these simple strategies but the beauty is: it’s not forced. Reading and books become a fabric of your family’s routine. A given. A way of life.

Why Reading Matters and the Importance of Books

By incorporating these subtle strategies, children begin to naturally enjoy reading and not view it as a school requirement or because mom says they have to.

• In school, the saying goes you learn to read, then read to learn. Naturally, we all must read to educate and inform ourselves.
• Reading opens up so many new worlds and ideas.
• Reading keeps your brain sharp (especially as we age)
• Reading encourages imagination and creativity.
• Reading can be calming and soothing.

Book Series Recommendations for PreK-5th Grade

Below is a list of tried and true favorites from our house and ones I’ve heard rave reviews about from other parents. A great starting point for finding something your child will actually want to read.

• “Gerald and Piggie” by Mo Willems
• “Pigeon Books” by Mo Willems
• “I Survived…” by Lauren Tarshis
• “Who What/Was” by various authors
• “Show Me History” by various authors
• “Big Nate” by Lincoln Peirce
• “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney
• “B.O.T.S.” by Russ Bolts and Jay Cooper
• “The Bad Guys” by Aaron Blabey
• “Bad Kitty” by Nick Bruel
• “Dog Man” by Dav Pilkey
• “My Weird School” by Dan Gutman
• “Magic Treehouse” by Mary Pope Osborne
• “The Treehouse Books” by Andy Griffiths
• “City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau
• Kids Magazines: Highlights, Sports Illustrated Kids, National Geographic Kids

Raise a Reader, One Book at a Time

Getting lost in a good book is one of life’s simple pleasures — and it’s a gift you can give your child at any age. It doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just keep books around, follow their interests and model the love of reading yourself. The rest will follow.