10 Ways to Spark a Love for Reading

One of the best things about being a mom is sitting next to my children, reading with them. Reading is one of the best, most encouraging, educational, and loving things you can do. Try these tips to fuel your reading time as a family.

Grab books celebrating the season

It’s fun for kids to go on a “hunt” for books with a specific theme such as fall, winter, summer or spring. Head to your local library – it’s a never-ending free-for-all for a child’s imagination.

Let the kids pick out the books

If your son likes Pokémon, let him get a Pokémon book. If it’s something he needs to read for school, maybe you compromise? Tell him he can read 10 minutes in his Pokémon book and then 10 minutes in his school book. You may just end up learning a thing or two about what he likes while your son becomes an avid reader.

Make time to sit down as a family

This might not be realistic every day but aim for a few times a week to sit down together where you’re all reading your own books or you’re reading one book together. Depending on your kids’ ages, you can pick a book that is suitable for everyone. A book like “Madeline” is great for kids, not too long or too short and it has a few French words you can talk about together.

Host a read-off

There’s no better time to start a fun game of who can read the most. Make sure you keep it friendly and be mindful of your younger kids who might not be able to read as much or as fast as your older kids. Have each kid write down how many minutes they’ve read each night and tally up the totals at the end of the week. Whoever read the most amount of time receives a prize (a Dollar store item). To keep everyone in good spirits, have little prizes for runners-ups and be sure to praise each kid for a job well done.

Let kids pick out books on the cheap

Your kids will think it’s the best day ever when you tell them there’s no limit to the number of books they can get. Resale or thrift stores usually have them for a dollar or less, or try your library’s used book sales.

Pick a special spot at home

If it’s nice outside, grab a blanket, a few stuffed animals, and a couple of great books, or find a comfy and quiet place in your home. Make it a pseudo-picnic with little snacks and lots of reading together. Take turns reading aloud to shake things up a bit.

—Meagan Ruffing

Other Ideas:

A self-proclaimed book lover, Chris Kubal strives to instill a passion for reading in her three children. Kubal’s practices can be easy for any parent to create a passion for reading:

Create a home library. “We have a lot of books around here in our home,” Kubal says. Books are stacked high on shelves in the kids’ bedrooms, including series of books.

Subscribe to magazines. Each family member subscribes to several magazines geared toward their interests. This keeps everyone reading for pleasure and for learning.

Tie-in books with movies, fun facts. If he loves movies, get him to read the books that relate to their favorite films. In addition, many excellent titles are chocked full of fun information, from creepy facts to world records. “These types of books are especially popular with boys who tend to be reluctant readers,” says author Francie Alexander.

Never leave home without a book. Whether you’re traveling for vacation or to the grocery store, always take a book with you. “Books keep kids from getting restless in traffic,” Alexander says. “There’s never a reason for a child to say, ‘I’m bored’ when there’s a book around.”

Have your child start a series. Kids love to find characters that they admire and can relate to. Many series are available that fit various ages and interests to engage imaginations and to keep them reading. Have fun helping your child discover a series that he can enjoy for several years.

-Kim Seidel

This story was originally published in Nov. 2018.