Transform Your Child’s Reading from a Trial to a Treat

Some children become avid readers as soon as they can decipher words. Parents of these children watch their children devour every book they come across and beg for more. Then there are the rest of us – parents whose children would rather submit to any torture than to pick up a book. Why? We read to them regularly starting at six months of age. We provided a wide variety of entertaining books for them to read. We tried to make reading fun. Unfortunately, some children just seem to have no interest in reading. It is not hopeless, however. The key is to find books that will grab the attention of your reluctant reader and to make reading a fun time for all.

Many children who don’t enjoy reading are very social. They don’t enjoy the solitary nature of reading. Instead of having them read alone, have them to take turns reading with older siblings. Also, schedule time to sit down and read with your child. Take turns reading paragraphs and pages. If your child has difficulty reading, read a book to him or her first and then let your child read it to you. Some of the best parenting books will tell you that children read better when they have heard the story previously.

It is also important to find books that will grab your young reader’s attention. The Geronimo Stilton Books are very popular among early to middle grade schoolers. The quirky typescript used may be difficult for some readers but many will find that it adds to the fun appeal of the books. The How to Train Your Dragon series is particularly popular among middle elementary school children and older (up to adults), because of the movie – but don’t be fooled by the movie, the books are very different and (in this readers opinion) much more engaging.

Set reading time with your child as part of your regular daily schedule. Start slow, maybe with a single page or so, and work your way up to larger amounts gradually. By making reading a fun, social activity and choosing highly entertaining books, you will increase reading’s appeal for your child. As the appeal increases, so will your child’s love of reading.