Reading is an essential element for success in almost every subject across any school curriculum. Research has shown that reading is also one of the main drivers of acquiring a wide vocabulary range. Additionally, reading broadens the mind and aids in promoting creativity, critical thinking skills, and positive curiosity – all of which can help shape a child’s adult life for the better. But if your little one isn’t fond of reading or doesn’t like it at all, how do you motivate them to cultivate a reading habit? The following tips should help.

Find out why your child doesn’t like to read

Before finding out how to motivate your child to love reading, it is helpful to understand why they don’t like it in the first place. One reason could be because your child considers reading to be a challenging activity. Take the time to find out the reason for their reading struggles, whether they have difficulty pronouncing words or have issues with comprehension. Another reason why most children don’t like reading is that they consider it a tedious activity. For some kids, reading isn’t necessarily hard, but it isn’t fun either. In this case, their lack of motivation could be because they have nothing exciting or fun to read. Knowing why your child may not enjoy reading would help you find the right strategies to implement. 

Draw your child into the story

Now that you know why your child doesn’t enjoy reading, you can better understand how to tackle the issue. If you notice your child finds reading boring, a practical approach to whetting your child’s reading appetite is drawing them in the story. Think of it the same way movie trailers work. By telling your child what they can expect from the story, you stand a better chance at piquing their interest.

Find what stories or subjects they love

Another way to get your child more interested in reading is to find out what subjects excite them. This way, you can encourage them to cultivate a reading habit by buying books about things they enjoy. Suppose your child loves technology. In that case, you’re more likely to motivate them with a simple tech-related book for children instead of a colorful fairy tale story. You can quickly discover what your child prefers by asking them or paying close attention to what they show an interest in.

Make books available 

Kids are curious by nature, and one of the best ways to lure their curiosity into reading is to make books available at home. The more books you have, the higher the chances of your child wanting to flip through some pages. Oh! And a pro tip: let them see you reading. Most children love to copy their parents. The more they see you reading, the more they’ll want to join in. 

Read with them

Sometimes, making the right books may not be enough, especially if your child struggles to read or pronounce words. In this case, you can read to them, and with them. Taking the time and mustering all the patience in the world to guide them through each word they cannot pronounce. You can also opt for an audiobook to read out to them when you’re not available or busy. Thankfully an audio book subscription is only one click away.