The Best Way to Get Your Child to Read: Finding Books of Interest

When kids are little, it's usually pretty easy to get them to listen to you read a book. In fact, they probably bring you books to read more than you'd really like. And their favorite book is probably not your favorite book. I don't want to throw any book or author under the bus, but one of my son's favorite books and theme of books was extremely boring for me for a couple of years. You know what though? I loved the way he paid attention and knew what every little detail in the illustrations were and most of the words before I read them because it interested him. That is the best way to get your child to read. Especially once they are in school and have to read for their assignments. It's important to find things of interest to your kids so that reading and the learning that comes with it doesn't seem like additional work.

I work for PaperPie and often I hear, "My child just doesn't like to read." That's always a personal challenge to me because I know we have something for everyone. Maybe your child loves sports. That isn't an end all statement. Do they like the sport they play because they like being part of a team? Do they like being able to get extra energy out? Do they get to practice making decisions on their own? Do they like having your full attention during their games and being made a fuss over? There are many reasons why kids like the things they do, just like we, as adults, do. It is also possible that fiction, which is what we are usually drawn to for our kids, isn't what they are into right now. Maybe they have a lot of questions about the world and want to be able to find answers on their own. I would encourage you to think about what your child asks questions about or what they tell you when they are talking about their day or while they are playing. Then, you are better equipped to help them find books they enjoy. Non-fiction has a lot to offer. Maybe planets and outer space is the answer. How about cooking and nutrition? Maybe certain types of animals fascinate them; ocean animals, jungle animals, dangerous animals, types of dogs or cats. Maybe weather, history, finances, etc. is what interests them. The list goes on and on.

If your child is struggling in a subject at school, sometimes fun books will help. I've used fiction and non-fiction books for my own kids to help them clarify what they are learning in school. Many times, it's in game form and they don't even realize they are "learning." The last thing I'd suggest are books about feelings. There are a lot of reading and activity books that help with courage, anxiety, anger, kindness, manners and many other topics. I'd be happy to help you narrow down some options for your kids. You can contact me below or check out my PaperPie website here Raising Readers with Jen and search a little on your own first.

This is one example of our learning "games." It's called the Learning Palette and it helps with reading and math skills through 4th grade. We have loved it! I personally like it because they can check themselves very easily to know if they got them all right or need to correct some answers.

Learning palette game

Learning palette game