Tips To Help Kids Love Reading

Once children learn to read, the entire world changes.  Books can take them on far off adventures and open their minds to new and exciting things.  But, how do you help your child to enjoy reading?  Books and reading have always been a huge part of my life and since March is National Reading Month, I’m excited to share 10 Tips To Help Kids Love Reading

Tips To Help Kids Love Reading

When I was young, we always had an abundance of books.  My boys also have more books than they have toys and we do a lot of reading.  My second son is such a book-worm that there are times that I will actually have to ask him to put his book away in order to finish other things.  I have always encouraged my boys to read and I have seen the benefits of that in their grades and in their desire to read.  They really enjoy reading!  Here are a few of my tips that may help your child to love reading as well.

1-Read To them

This might seem very obvious but children who are read to from a very young age, tend to enjoy reading more as they grow up.  As soon as my babies were alert and interested I would read them board books or books with different textures and colors. As they grew, I would find them going to their books as often as they would their toys.  I read my youngest boys stories every night before bed.

2-Make Books Available to them

My grandma was a huge advocate for education and she would give us each a new book for every birthday and Christmas.  We always had something to read.  She continued that tradition with my boys while she was alive and we have now used that same tradition with our boys. We have a large library of books at their disposal.  And now with technology at our finger tips we can easily bring dozens of books into our home for a lot less money.  We love our Kindle e-reader and use it with Amazon FreeTime Unlimited to access hundreds of books, from early readers to chapter books , for only $2.99/month.  It’s nice because if we get a book my boys don’t like, they can just download another one.  They can also download e-books from their library for free.

3- Read With Them

As your children begin to sound out words and read sentences, make sure you read with them. At first, they may only be able to read a word or two of the book you are reading but by reading together and following along they will pick up on the techniques they will need to sound words out. As your children get older, have them read out loud to their younger siblings.  Also, after they are reading, continue to read with them and ask them questions to make sure they are comprehending what they are reading.

4-Let them Choose Their Books

I am really grateful for the wide variety of books that are available to kids.  There are times when I have wanted my boys to read certain books or series that they are just not interested in.  Instead of making them read the books that I loved while growing up, I let them choose  books that interests them.  And, since I have four boys, we have all of the Captain Underpants Series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other series that they love, but that I probably wouldn’t have chosen for myself as a kid. 🙂  As they get older and more comfortable reading, it is easier to introduce them to some of the great classics if they already have a love of reading.

5-Set Reading Goals and Keep it Fun

I love that our school participates in the Accelerated Reading program.  Children are encouraged to read and reach different A.R. goals where they are recognized by the school.  My 3rd grader met his goal of getting 250 AR points and will have his name put on a plaque in the school.  That was a goal he has had for a couple of years and he was excited to meet it.  Kindle e-reader allows you to set up a profile for each child and they can set goals and be rewarded with achievement badges when they reach their goal.

6-Check for Reading Comprehension

One of my sons really wanted to read harder books when he was younger so he jumped right into a large chapter book.  He could read it but it was beyond his comprehension and he quickly became frustrated.  I wanted him to love reading so we worked on his book together. If your child wants to move up reading levels, read with them until you are sure they are understanding what they are reading.  One great feature of the Kindle e-reader is Word Wise.  Word Wise automatically displays short and simple definitions above difficult words.  Or you can hold your finger over the word and a more descriptive definition will pop up.  The word they look up will be stored in Vocabulary Builder and they can go back and quiz themselves with flashcards.  It is a really great way to help them expand their vocabulary.

7- Get Them Their Own Library Card

There is just something about having their own library card that makes kids feel big.  We love going to the library and exploring new books that we might now have known about and my kids feel big when they get to check out their own books.

8-Look into Library Events

Our library holds weekly story time and events for different ages of kids from toddler to teens.  These are free events that can expose kids to new books that they might not have heard of.

9-Be Involved in School Events that Encourage Reading

Our school has reading week once a year where students are encouraged to read as much as they can and take A.R. tests for comprehension.  There are a lot of rewards and parties for their hard work and I know they can use parent involvement to help them out.  I try to take my boys in early during the week so they can take A.R. tests before school.

10-Be in Contact With Your Child’s Teacher

If your child is struggling with reading or not wanting to read, his/her teacher is your best resource.  Go to them with your concerns and I know they will help you to work out a plan to help your child.

Reading is such a wonderful part of our lives and I love that new technology like Kindle e-reader, make books even more accessible.

What tips do you have that have helped your kids love reading?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.