It is always beneficial to encourage your children to read for more than just accomplishing a task. Reading for enjoyment helps them learn more about the world, improves their imagination, and builds reading and vocabulary skills that they will take with them through life.

How do you encourage your children to read for fun when there are so many other things they want to do? There are several ways that, as a parent, you can make reading a more desirable activity.

Lead By Example

Let your children see you reading for fun or relaxation. Your children will know that you enjoy reading, and they will want to join in. Our children watch everything that we do, so they will do the same when you read for pleasure.

Create A Special Reading Time

Make time each day for you and your child to read. You could make it a snack time, or a curl up together on the couch time, or a sit out in the yard time together. Whatever you think would make that 20 to 30 minutes special for the two of you. Creating some “us time” that includes reading will make your child look forward to reading each day.

Library Fun

The library is a great resource for more than books. There are a lot of different programs that take place at the library that your children will enjoy. Make going to the library a fun trip and include some of these free programs so that your child will look forward to visiting the library and getting new books. Getting a library card of their own often makes children really proud, and this is also a great incentive to read,

Additional Suggestions

You will want to make sure that your child is reading things that they enjoy. Make sure that your child tries reading from various subjects and different writing styles to see what they enjoy most. If your child is interested in the story, they will be more likely to read.

The other issue that many parents overlook is reading level. While books are ranked by age, this does not actually rank them by reading level. Everyone has a different level when they first begin to read for pleasure.

Working with a reading tutor can help ensure that your child is reading at the right level. A tutor can also help your child significantly improve their reading skills and excel in higher reading levels.

When you pick books at their reading level, it not only makes reading more enjoyable for your child, it also helps boost their confidence. As they feel secure knowing that they can read the book they have well, you can begin to increase the reading level to help boost confidence.

The most important thing to remember is that finding a way to help your child learn to read for pleasure is a gift you will give them that lasts a lifetime. Strong readers can excel in all school subjects and will carry those skills into their adult careers.