How to make young elementary kid love reading?

[Anonymous]

1. Let them see you reading. (I went through a long phase where I wasn’t reading much. Now I’m reading much more, and they’ll often grab a book and read next to me.)
2. Take them to the library/bookstore and let them pick. Don’t criticize/veto their choice (unless wildly appropriate).
3. Read to them. Even if they’re older and can do it themselves.

These are things that have helped over here. Still a work in progress though. I have to constantly remind myself that graphic novels count too.

[Anonymous]

First of all, and most importantly, don’t force her. Reading should only be mandatory when it serves a purpose. Mandatory daily practice when learning the skill of reading makes sense, but you say she is an advanced reader, so she has apparently mastered the skill already. Reading assigned material makes sense (“Read the next chapter so we can discuss it in class tomorrow.” or “Read a book and write a report.”). I know it’s commonly recommended, but avoid requiring a daily minimum time of reading. Requiring daily reading for its own sake does not make sense, as the only thing you will accomplish is to create resentment of reading. It turns an intrinsically enjoyable activity into a chore. Imagine if someone said you had yo eat your favorite food every day. The first day you might feel particularly lucky, and you might enjoy the food for a while, but how long would it be before it lost its favorite status and was demoted to just a food you enjoyed, then just another food, and eventually a food you dreaded the very thought of?

Read to her, it doesn’t have to be just at bedtime. You can read snuggle up and read anytime, just because it’s fun. She can even engage in other activities at the same time. You can read to her while she eats, plays quietly nearby, etc. Pick books for their entertainment value over their literary value. If you read chapter books, aim for something funny or something exciting that will hook her quickly - mysteries tend to be good. She’s not too old for picture books. Read whatever she enjoys.

Let her see you reading for pleasure. If you read something particularly funny or interesting, share it with her. My Dad used to read the Reader’s Digest and he’d share the funniest jokes with us, sometimes interrupted by his own laughter.

Take her to library programs. Libraries have all sorts of special events. Take her to one, even if it’s not focused on books. While you’re there, pick out books for yourself and give her the opportunity (but not requirement) to select books for herself. If she doesn’t, you might select a few that you think she might enjoy, but don’t require them.

Books aren’t limited to stories. Consider exposing her to:
-joke books - but brace for knock-knocks
-cookbooks - if you’re willing to cook with her
-poetry books - Shel Silverstein writes quirky poetry, tongue twisters are good, too
-novelty books - CDB (“read” by sounds of the letter names, so the title reads as See the Bee), textless books like 10 minutes till bedtime
-reference type books - Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, a child’s encyclopedia, almanac, atlas, etc.
-books with stunning photographs of artwork, other places, nature, etc.
-magazines
-comics and graphic novels (make sure you get ones written for kids).

Books don’t even have to be just about reading. Consider:
-novelty books like the I Spy books.
-activity books (mazes, crosswords, seek and finds, invisible ink, etc.)
-Klutz books are basically craft kits in book format.

[Anonymous]

Also, some people never enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Agree that forced reading of X minutes a day is a turnoff for kids who like to read. Reading logs are also a drag. More school paperwork about something that doesn’t require it.

If you have a voracious reader, ask the teachers if you can skip reading logs. Unless your kid wants prizes like Personal Pan Pizzas.

[Anonymous]

Read to and with them. Always let/encourage them to bring a book on family outings. Let them choose what they want to read even if it seems too easy or silly to you.

[Anonymous]

Turn off the screens, because billions of dollars of research is going into companies making sure those are a preferred activity. Ensure you have a nice selection of good books at home, and that your kid's fundamentals are good -- ie she can sound out unfamiliar words. That'll do it for most kids.

[Anonymous]

I come from a family of readers and have created that. We constantly have books and magazines in various parts of the house. When my kids want my attention I make them wait until I finish the paragraph I'm reading. We constantly share articles or books we've read that we think other family members will like.

[Anonymous]

Keep books in the car and everywhere else in the house. Get all kinds of books from the library and magazines. Write down the titles so you know how many to return. Joke books, Garfield books, nonfiction, Ridley’s Believe it or Not, graphic novels, chapter books. See if there is a preschooler she could read to. Get a kids magazine subscription, and no screens!

[Anonymous]

I could have written this post OP!

I have two kids, 9 and 12, and they both do not like reading. Both strong readers, amazing grades in ELA, etc. Will sit down to read if I insist, but will never choose it.

Following this thread.

[Anonymous]

Try short stories. I dislike reading, but I like stories and new information.

[Anonymous]

The best you can do is create an environment that fosters a love for reading but you can't make a child enjoy reading. We have tons of books in the house, still read to DS at 7, and make frequent trips to the library. We don't totally restrict screens or tablets and DS still loves books.

[Anonymous]

Go the library, check out a huge variety of books (anything they could conceivably be interested in) and leave them around the house.

[Anonymous]

I have a voracious 10 yo reader, but I'll still often read her the first 1-2 chapters in a new book to help get her started on a new book. It helps.

[Anonymous]

We never force. We have a voracious 6 yr old reader who loves to read and here's what we do:

1) No limit on books. We go to the library once a week. We regularly hit up the bookstore and let both kids (we also have a preschooler who is not reading independently yet) pick out a book to buy. We never say "you have enough books" or "you have to finish what you have" or whatever. More books are always better. Books are like water or fruit -- always a good idea.

2) We don't police what she chooses to read on her own. A lot of her solo reading are those series about, like, a witch opening a cupcake shop so she can buy hair accessories. Okay. It's not what I want to read but whatever, she can read whatever she wants, and if she says she likes a series or author or subject, we will figure out a way to make it happen (I regularly check to see which library branch has the other books from a series, or buy used books online to satisfy whatever her book wants are).

3) If she's reading something and asks one of us to read to her because she'd tired, we almost always say yes. Sometimes it's like "okay I'll finish the chapter for you" and sometimes she has to wait until we are free. But even though those books

3) We read together as a family every. single. night. Like everyone in the family sits down and reads the same book together. We didn't always do it this way (DH and I used to trade off and it was solo time with kids), but once we switched to chapter books, we started doing it this way and it's awesome. Mostly DH and I choose these books, but we take kid's preferences into account, and if we start a book they don't like, we stop and read something else (my 1st grader finds surprising books scare sometimes, and we don't push that). DH and I mostly take turns reading chapters, but sometimes we'll ask our older daughter if she wants to read for a bit. Usually these books are well above her reading level, so if we do this she will just read a page or two. Mostly we read and the kids get to relax and enjoy. We'll stop to explain things or talk about something interesting or scary or weird, though we mostly try to save that stuff for the end of our reading time. We LOVE reading books altogether as a family and how this is creating a whole universe of stories that we have shared as a family. If there's a movie based on a book, we'll often watch that on a weekend family movie night after we finish the book. I would like to keep this up as long as we possibly can, even well past when both our kids are reading well on their own. It's really instilling a love of books in our kids, it gives DH and I chances to revisit beloved books from our childhood and discover new classics, and it's just nice family togetherness time. We pile into one bed and cuddle and listen and read and it's heavenly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We never force. We have a voracious 6 yr old reader who loves to read and here's what we do:

1) No limit on books. We go to the library once a week. We regularly hit up the bookstore and let both kids (we also have a preschooler who is not reading independently yet) pick out a book to buy. We never say "you have enough books" or "you have to finish what you have" or whatever. More books are always better. Books are like water or fruit -- always a good idea.

2) We don't police what she chooses to read on her own. A lot of her solo reading are those series about, like, a witch opening a cupcake shop so she can buy hair accessories. Okay. It's not what I want to read but whatever, she can read whatever she wants, and if she says she likes a series or author or subject, we will figure out a way to make it happen (I regularly check to see which library branch has the other books from a series, or buy used books online to satisfy whatever her book wants are).

3) If she's reading something and asks one of us to read to her because she'd tired, we almost always say yes. Sometimes it's like "okay I'll finish the chapter for you" and sometimes she has to wait until we are free. But even though those books

3) We read together as a family every. single. night. Like everyone in the family sits down and reads the same book together. We didn't always do it this way (DH and I used to trade off and it was solo time with kids), but once we switched to chapter books, we started doing it this way and it's awesome. Mostly DH and I choose these books, but we take kid's preferences into account, and if we start a book they don't like, we stop and read something else (my 1st grader finds surprising books scare sometimes, and we don't push that). DH and I mostly take turns reading chapters, but sometimes we'll ask our older daughter if she wants to read for a bit. Usually these books are well above her reading level, so if we do this she will just read a page or two. Mostly we read and the kids get to relax and enjoy. We'll stop to explain things or talk about something interesting or scary or weird, though we mostly try to save that stuff for the end of our reading time. We LOVE reading books altogether as a family and how this is creating a whole universe of stories that we have shared as a family. If there's a movie based on a book, we'll often watch that on a weekend family movie night after we finish the book. I would like to keep this up as long as we possibly can, even well past when both our kids are reading well on their own. It's really instilling a love of books in our kids, it gives DH and I chances to revisit beloved books from our childhood and discover new classics, and it's just nice family togetherness time. We pile into one bed and cuddle and listen and read and it's heavenly.

Sorry for the long post, but to finish number 3 -- even though I don't love the books she chooses for herself, I still read them to her when she asks because it encourages her fondness for books generally. Sometimes I'll ask that we trade off reading chapters, or I'll only read a bit, but I am careful to never criticize the books she chooses or say I don't want to read them. She know she loves them more than we do, but we are not negative about them. It's important for kids to develop their own taste in books and to to be encouraged in it, within reason.