As parents, we all want our children to be competent readers, but what can we do if they are not motivated to read? There are several ways to encourage them, but we must know the reasons why they dislike reading.

Why don’t they like to read?

As parents, we must first understand why our children are resisting. Here are some of the reasons:

• Reading is hard

Children love to play, and they see school work as hard work, so they depict it as a mundane task and not a leisure activity like playing football, trains, or video games. So, if your child is struggling to read, you may like to try and determine why this might be. They might have issues with fluency, or they might have gaps with their phonogram knowledge. Your child may be guessing the words using the pictures, or they might not have solid vocabulary skills.

• Learning challenges

Some kids might have dyslexia, ADHD or other learning challenges. But whatever the cause, your child will feel reading is too much work. Therefore, identifying these impediments and addressing them with professional help or research, may give your child the confidence or ability to become more competent. Most importantly, they may enjoy reading and see it as a leisure activity.

Tips to motivate your child to read

• Set a time 

Always make time for reading, even if your child has a jam-packed schedule. It does not matter if they can only sit with a book for 15 to 20 minutes per day. The important thing is to make it a habit and a relaxing activity.

• Choose a variety of high-quality literature materials

Choose books that may appeal to your child’s age and interests. You can also use audiobooks as a first option, especially if your child is a reluctant reader. Once reading becomes their habit, let them read aloud their favourite books.

However, it is important to ensure that they are reading materials that are not beyond their abilities. Keep in mind that the interest may be there, but their motivation might wane if you encourage them to read a book that is beyond their skill level.

• Create a cosy nook in your home

It is a good idea to set or create a unique space in your home because this will encourage your child to settle down and read their favourite book in that area. You can even create fiction and academic shelves in that mini library or collect books on other genres like cookbooks, joke books, graphic novels, and biographies. Here are some more at home ideas.

Children’s magazines can also be an excellent option to encourage your child to read. Lastly, try buddy up with your struggling reader. If you set some time to read with your child, it will improve their fluency and make them feel more comfortable reading independently.