How Can I Get My Kids To Read? – Starting Small

I have struggled and continue to struggle to answer the burning question – how can I get my kids to read? As I have shared before, I possess a deep love for reading. For me, it is the best pastime. The variety is endless and getting lost in the words and characters come easily. My girls do not feel the same. They are growing up in the age of technology. Everything is at their fingertips.

Light and sound stimulates them. Fast moving videos with an unlimited amount of content on every imaginable topic gets their attention. How can I compete with that? But over time, I have picked up a few strategies that I truly hope can help you in your attempt to encourage your kids to read.

All Content Counts

If you are anything like me, you feel as if from the get go your child should be reading chapter books. To you, they should be plowing through series after series of their favorites. By now, you feel like they should at least have a favorite! Be it classics like Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys or popular reads like Harry Potter & Percy Jackson. It took me some time, quite some time actually, to realize that all content counts. All words matter. If you can get your kids to start small then you will be laying a good foundation. Regardless of age or interest. Start small.

Instead of pressing for chapter books, you can start with lesser words. This technique lessens the pressure on both you and your kid. I have found that recipes, signs, food labels and road maps (instructions and place names) are a good place to start. For example, during trips to the grocery store I busy myself and ask questions like what are the ingredients on that tin of mixed vegetables or I sometimes send them to find which lane has the seafood. Similarly, while driving, I concentrate on the road and hand over the map (usually on the phone) and ask for directions or ask them to read an oncoming sign so I know where I’m going.

Simple, basic steps to make them familiar with words. This helps in instilling the importance of words and its meanings. Start small, lay the foundation.

Let the Device Reign

Face it! They live on these devices and we despise it. We are still trying to get them to go outdoors and play like we used to do. To spend hours of the summer outdoors exploring or reading under the trees instead of locked up in their bedrooms on the phone, tablets or tv. After fighting for what felt like ages, I came to the realization that these devices are not going anywhere and I have to use it to my advantage.

So, instead of pushing paper maps (because who uses that anymore!) I use my phone and let them use it too. There are endless reading apps available now. Why not? Amazon Kindle, iBooks, Nook, Goodreads, Epic – the list goes on and on. Use them. Don’t force the paper in their hands if they are not willing. It is not worth the fight. You can accomplish the same goal with the device and monitoring.

If they want this device in their hands so much, let them have it. Research the reading apps. Find what works best for you. Make it work to your advantage.

Follow The Leader

Hey, That’s You! As mentioned in an earlier post, I developed my love of reading from my mom. She worked long hours but somehow still found the time to read. Every Sunday afternoon after the hustle and bustle of Sunday lunch, my mom would use the very few hours she had to herself to read. Between this and not having much to do myself, I engaged and followed.

Many of you reading may be thinking, “but I don’t like reading”. Most adults in my life dislike reading. Most! I firmly believe that if you do not have a challenge reading, then the only reason you are not a “reader” is because you are yet to find that genre that rocks you. Try it out, take your time and look for it.

If our kids can see the joy we find in reading and the world it opens up to us then surely it will have an impact. The age old adage – “Lead by example” is all the truth that we need here.

Perfect Pick

They are not you! The sooner you can come to terms with this the better for you. The plain and simple fact is that your child is not going to like what you like, some may, but that’s not a norm. I enjoy romance and mystery, always have. My first born, now a teenager, is not even remotely interested in a romantic setting let alone a whole story. At that age, I was taken up with love and wonder. This apple fell very far……

My best advice here is to let them find their genre. These are endless, that’s a whole other topic! Let them explore, try new and different things. Show them the possibilities. Don’t try to fit them into your mould. There are topics and interests out there that we are all still learning about. Let them find their own and own it.

If kids can find their interest expressed in words, that is step one in developing a love for reading. Step one in a long and fulfilling journey.

Wrapping Up

To wrap this up, I would encourage you to take a minute and peruse the above very basic points in guiding your young ones into a life of exploring the written word. These are basic steps that I slowly started using in every day life to make a dent in what seemed like an unsolvable problem.

I’m I would also like to encourage you to share your experience and thoughts on this topic in the comments section below. I believe in a community of supporters. This is key!