How to make young elementary kid love reading?

[Anonymous]

I am a huge reader and really want my kids to share that. My oldest DD is 7 and reads above her level considerably but I end up fighting her to sir down and read a book. I am guessing forcing it is not the way to get her to love reading so are there any other idea?

[Anonymous]

You can’t force someone to love reading. Mine enjoyed reading more when I told her she could turn her lights out 30 mins later as long as she was in bed reading.
She’s 11 now and still resists reading except at bedtime.

[Anonymous]

You can't force it. You can try to make sure there are books she's excited about nearby. We get a lot from the library that my kid doesn't touch, but if something catches his eye he rips through it. Lots of options.

[Anonymous]

Read to her. If you read a longer book, don’t finish it. She may pick it up to finish it herself. do not fight with her about reading—that feels counterproductive.

[Anonymous]

Graphic novels are the gateway drug to reading. They're easy and get kids exposed to the idea of caring about a character. I would pick up books I thought my DCs would like and just leave them laying around, including in the bathroom. I also read to my DCs for years long after they could read on their own. My thought was always encouraging them to consider books for entertainment, not because it was good for them. They also see me reading all the time.

[Anonymous]

+1. Graphic novels. Whatever junk they are interested in.

[Anonymous]

Find interesting books, and then let her be. Mine only picks up books at bedtime.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 10 now but was also like this. +1 to graphic novels, kid cook books, animal books, picture books, whatever catches her interest. I’d also grab a couple of random silly books from library whenever I went and leave them laying around. 7 is really young to love reading. You can’t force it but don’t give up!

[Anonymous]

1) we transitioned nap time to quiet reading time- I think it helped that we started early
2) we read together at night- longer chapter books
3) focus on their interest
4) do not get a phone until HS

[Anonymous]

You can’t force it. Mine are teens and both are readers, always have been. I read to them every night as part of our bedtime routine. This happened every night, without fail, from infancy until about 5th grade. They also had things they were reading on their own but they loved being read to all cozied up in their pajamas and cuddling. We’d take turns picking what the book was and I made sure to pick some of my childhood favorites. They could see my excitement and love for books.

I also let them read whatever they wanted on their own and don’t remember ever saying “no” to a book request (thank god for the high school used book sales!). And reading was never, ever forced or a punishment.

I think these things helped to create a love of reading for my kids. They’re both in high school now and busy with school, work and social lives. But they both still describe themselves as readers and make time for it in their down time.

[Anonymous]

8:23 back and i’ll add, delay getting them phones! and when you do, they stay out of the bedrooms for the first couple of years at least, phones downstairs at bedtime/ overnight is still out house rule.

[Anonymous]

It’s finding the book they are interested in and yes, graphic novels.

My kids started with the Percy Jackson graphic novels and then cared enough to want to go back and read the full ones. And the Heroes of Olympus. And the Trials of Apollo. And so on.

[Anonymous]

We waited to get an iPad until the youngest could read the entire Harry Potter series (early elementary - 3rd grade). It was an explicit goal. That was our first device.

My kids will still occasionally read books for pleasure. Including on the iPad through the Libby online library app.

Devices do crowd out reading (iPad, game devices, phones). They also crowd out TV or are TV-like but for short attention spans (Youtube, TikTok).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:8:23 back and i’ll add, delay getting them phones! and when you do, they stay out of the bedrooms for the first couple of years at least, phones downstairs at bedtime/ overnight is still out house rule.

We have a seven year old. We haven't avoided devices altogether, but I do think our limits on devices have helped. We watch a little TV (on an actual TV) in the afternoon on weekends. She has a tablet, but only for extraordinary circumstances (long car rides basically although we also used it for an ER trip recently), and so the device usage is never accessible except when we facilitate it. We've also kept the same bath and nightly story times (7:00) since she was little, but don't force her to turn her lights off until 8:45 or 9:00. She ends up with an hour to an hour and half of time in her room by herself. Without a screen to watch, she's got two options: play with a handful of toys that are kept in her room or read a book. She doesn't always choose to read, but she reads a lot.

[Anonymous]

Try the library summer reading programs--both Fairfax and Alexandria Public libraries offer a prize for completing the program (something like 10-20 books over the summer). Not quite as good as the program in my hometown, which had a prize every time you turned in a book list (and I read a lot) but still a great incentive.

The library used book sales are also great. I have such good memories of going there with my parents, looking over all the books, and being allowed to choose a few for myself.