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Motivating Your Kids to Read

June 01, 2021
By Coastal Community School

Sometimes getting kids to read can be difficult, but the time is well spent because reading can help develop kids into individuals of godly character. The editors of Focus on the Family magazine asked parents how they’ve created a culture of reading in their homes. Their answers were surprisingly creative and practical:

Book Bingo

I gave my son a blank bingo card and helped him fill in each square with a reading-related activity. Each time an activity was completed, I put a sticker in that square. Once he earned a bingo, he got to choose a reward, such as a trip to the library or skipping a chore that week.  — Diane Stark

The Reading Hour

“Can I stay up 10 more minutes?” I took that frequent request and transformed it into a reading tool. I had one simple rule: You can stay up an extra hour after bedtime, but only if you spend that hour quietly reading. My kids gladly spent their extra hour reading page after page. — Jessica Snell

An Audio Approach

My stepmom, a literacy specialist, asked, “Have you tried audio books?” From the start, I was amazed at how much he loved listening to books. Then he started taking books with him everywhere. The audio books even helped him read dialogue with voice changes. I was pleasantly surprised that my son developed a love for reading through audio books. — Erica Sirratt

Book Towers

My two boys love to compete with each other, so I held a “book tower” contest. After a book was read, my kids would stack it on the last book read. Whoever had the tallest book tower at the end of the month was the winner. — Courtney Roberts

Bringing Books to Life

I have found that my kids love to read about things that they can experience. Before taking them to the petting zoo, I researched what animals would be on hand and then found books at the library about these animals. My children were excited to read the books because they knew they would soon be petting these animals. — Jessica Tyson

Getting My Kids to Read

The key to getting my kids to read was finding books that they enjoyed. Some only liked fiction; others liked nonfiction. I found that the more my boys read, the better readers they became. So to encourage them to read, I found book lists online and paid attention to their interests. Once they saw a book they liked, we looked for those books at our local library and then at online bookstores. When my kids chose the books, they took more responsibility for reading it. — Sheila Seifert

Motivate Your Reluctant Readers

Owen loved football, so we used trading cards as a reading reward — one card for every 10 minutes he read to us. Two keys helped this method work: The rewards were easily achievable, and we constantly replenished his supply of interesting reading material. — Kim Harms

Little Ways to Raise a Reader

I used simple strategies to make reading more fun. I asked her to read a book that included food, and then we made the food found in the book. We also explored nonfiction books that interested her, such as butterflies and horses. And spreading out a blanket at the park for reading also became a favorite activity — a reading date. — Brooke Kramb

If you are looking for more ideas, talk to your child’s teacher at Coastal Community School!

Originally published by Focus on the Family:  https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/motivating-kids-to-read/

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