5 Expert Tips for Making Reading Time the Best Part of Your Child's Day

Yahoo

6 days ago

After a summer of obligatory reading lists and extra screen time, getting your kids to crack open a book might seem impossible. Here's what experts say.
After a summer filled with outdoor play, screen time, and relaxed routines, getting kids back into the habit of reading can be a challenge. For many families, the transition from summer break to the school year brings a renewed focus on academics, but rekindling a child's love for reading goes beyond homework assignments.
This is especially important given that kids' reading skills are at historic lows and even some elite college students can't read full books. With summer reading wrapping up and back-to-school in the fall, it feels like a good moment for this topic. Whether your child lost interest in books over the summer or just needs a gentle nudge, Parents spoke to five experts for practical tips and creative ideas to help you raise a reader, not out of obligation, but out of genuine excitement and enjoyment.
Finding Their Niche
Charlie N. Holmberg, WSJ bestselling author, thinks that a big part of getting kids interested in reading is to emulate a love of reading. Not only to be seen reading, but to share what you're reading. 'I'll often share interesting things in my reading with my husband, so why not share them with my kids, too? We like to share highlights of our day at the dinner table, and I think the twists and turns of current stories make for a great highlight.'
For Holmberg, raising a kid who loves reading also means understanding exactly what your kids like to read. 'My son has recently gotten into the typical middle-grade novels and will crack them open before bed, but my daughter doesn't connect with those. She's not a big lover of books—reading and writing are her least favorite subjects in school. But through some trial and error, I've learned she loves nonfiction books, especially ones with photos, graphics, and other visuals. Finding titles at the store or the library with subject matter she's presently showing interest in makes a big difference, too. Last year it was rocks and minerals, this year it's astrology and feathers.'
Lastly, Holmberg thinks it's great for kids to have their own library cards and have opportunities to pick out their own books, as well as take responsibility for those books. That sense of ownership and independence places value not only on the books themselves, but on the identity of being a reader.
Don't Skip Read Alouds
Marisa Ware, MSEd, literacy specialist and consultant to Charge Mommy Books, understands that weaving reading into daily life can feel challenging, especially for busy parents, but there are many small, meaningful ways to do it. 'Reading aloud at bedtime, sharing articles on topics their kids are curious about, listening to audiobooks together, or keeping a book or magazine in the car.'
She suggests during the summer to avoid letting reading become a chore. Research indicates that allowing students to choose their own reading materials significantly benefits their reading motivation, comprehension, and overall academic performance, so let kids choose materials they enjoy – graphic novels, joke books, how-to guides, or sports articles all 'count' as reading and help build positive associations.
'Some parents may find it helpful to establish a daily reading routine,' she notes. 'Set aside a specific time each day during which the whole family reads and then discusses what they read. This may be independent reading, or may be a few minutes in which your child reads aloud to you.'
Meet Them Where They Are
Maya Payne Smart, author of Reading for Our Lives: The Urgency of Early Literacy and the Action Plan to Help Your Child, acknowledges that too often parents mistake a love of stories for a love of reading. 'But the reality is: enjoying being read to and feeling excited to read on your own are two very different things, and kids need both. When children struggle to sound out words or make meaning from them, reading feels hard, not fun. That's when screens win, with games and apps that deliver immediate gratification, dopamine hits, and nonstop stimulation.'
She says that reading to kids builds vocabulary and background knowledge that support comprehension (as well as story love), but for kids to love reading on their own, they need the skills to do it successfully. So if you have school-aged kids, summer is the time to shore up their independent reading skills.
'Even in the midst of packed schedules and long workdays, parents can weave in quick reading moments—asking kids to read aloud during errands, over breakfast, or before bed,' Smart advises. 'These short check-ins offer a valuable window into how they're progressing. Notice where they're smooth and where they stumble.'
If you're unsure how their reading compares with the expectations for their age or stage, Smart says that summer is a great time to check out your state's reading standards or get a screening from a local learning center. 'Use the summer break to get a sense of what your child needs to start the next school year strong,' she advises.
Smart wants to remind parents that literacy learning happens everywhere. So every time parents talk, play, or explore with their children, they're building the vocabulary and knowledge that will power reading comprehension later on.
'For my family, nearby Lake Michigan offers sand dunes carved by ancient glaciers and stories of Indigenous communities like the Ojibwe, Menominee, and Potawatomi. We can explore the lake's ecosystem, spot native fish (and invasive ones, too), investigate shipwrecks and lighthouse legends—or just enjoy beaches and parks while learning how to protect this freshwater treasure,' she says.
She further says to remember that reading doesn't start—or stop—with books. 'I was reminded of this when my daughter attended a soccer camp in Colorado. Coming from the Midwest to discover this new terrain together, our conversations suddenly included words like altitude, elevation, and dehydration. And her reading included scouring the camp's packing list, digesting weather reports, and poring over oxygen canister instructions. It wasn't storytime, but it was reading—driven by real needs, genuine curiosity, and the excitement of new experiences,' she recalls.
Try a Little Tech
Kristy Woodson Harvey, NYT bestselling author, believes that a big part of getting kids interested in reading is meeting them where they are. For kids who love screens, ebooks can be a more appealing alternative, and for kids who don't think they love reading at all, audiobooks can bridge the gap and make them fall in love with story as well. Watching movie adaptations after a book can be fun as well for kids who prefer TV to books.
'As a writer, I obviously adore reading and find it to be one of the most enjoyable and foundational hobbies we can pass along to our children. But, as with so many things in life, we can't make our children love to read,' she notes. 'I feel like modeling reading is one of the most important things we can do as parents. It's also hard to scold our children for preferring screens when we're constantly pulling out our phones, so I think practicing what we preach and modeling a love of reading is paramount.'
Harvey has a web show and podcast with three other New York Times Bestselling authors called Friends & Fiction, where they have interviewed hundreds and hundreds of writers. Almost across the board, they say that their parents didn't censor their reading much or focus on what was educational over entertaining. 'I love this approach. Whatever the genre, the more words the better,' she advises.
Lean Into Listening
Erin Beers, a middle school language arts teacher, acknowledges that life is fast-paced, and kids (and families) are seemingly always on the go, especially during the summer. One way that she has tackled five books this summer is by using Audible. 'My students love read-alouds – it is one of their favorite times within my class where they get to listen to a book that I read that they voted on as a whole class,' she says.
'I often think that people only view reading when a book is in hand,' Beers continues. 'However, with access to audiobooks using apps like Audible, books are more accessible than ever. Listening to texts is just as valuable because kids are still using metacognition as they are listening. Parents can use technology to their advantage by encouraging audiobooks as an on-the-go way to navigate summer reading or even to engage a family in a common book during a long car ride."
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