We’ve been there, too. You were just about to do something (or that’s the story you’re sticking to), but the minute you’re told to do it, you no longer want to (or you want to even less). Telling a child to read isn’t any different. Sure, you can make your child read a few pages as you watch her under a scrutinizing gaze.
But let’s face it; getting a child to read through her tears is hardly the path towards a lifelong love affair with books. Instead, try a more tacit approach that won’t require any nagging at all.
Here are 4 tips to get your child to read, without forcing, nagging or telling them they have to!
1. Appeal to their interests.
It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is, whether it’s something they’re going through at school or the latest SpongeBob SquarePants series. Hit up your local library and check out some books that align with your child’s interests. Then sprawl them around your house where you know they can see it. Kids love novelty and if they see a book they’ve never seen before, they’re sure to at least pick it up, peruse it and read a paragraph or two just out of pure curiosity.
2. Read in front of your child.
Many book-lovers will tell you that their curiosity for books developed far before they could learn to read. One author put it this way. Watching his father immersed in books, he knew as a young child there was a hidden treasure in books.
If you spend all your free time in front of the TV, your child is likely to value TV too. But before you think you have to quit TV altogether, consider setting aside just 15 minutes a day of reading time that’s done not on your phone.
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3. Create enticing reading associations.
Introduce reading with something enticing like cookies. Associations are strong. Think baseball and peanuts or movies and popcorn. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a food association. You can introduce books with a craft or anything else that sparks your child’s interests. If your child loves to be outdoors, read alfresco. The whole idea is to make fun correlations with reading.
4. Read before bedtime.
When kids say they “hate to read,” what they really mean is there are so many other things they would rather do than read. Most kids, of course, would prefer to play than read. But even the most book-averse child will prefer storytime to bedtime. Bedtime is also when kids start to wind down, which is conducive for focusing on a book, which is conducive for falling asleep.
So get your child to bed 30 minutes before actual bedtime and use that time to read together. I can’t tell you how many times my child has refused to read during the day. But I usually have to pry a book out of her hands when it’s finally time to get some shut-eye.
Check out these Reading Resources:
8 Tips to Ignite Your Child's Love of Learning
5 Books to Get Kids Excited About Reading
How to Get Kids Excited about Reading
Around the World in Four Bedtime Stories
10 Books Even the Most Stubborn Sons Won’t Be Able to Resist
Write Brain Author Kits and Wordless Books: Write & Publish Your Own Book!
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