When I was in elementary school, my bedroom window faced the front of our garage. At night, the exterior garage light lit the front yard, and its glow shone between the gap in my curtains.
That strip of light was just wide enough to illuminate the page of a book.
Most nights in the summer, I kept a book tucked under my pillow. Mom would come in to say goodnight, and I would wait until I heard her return downstairs. Then I would retrieve my book. Hours after bedtime, I would lie on my stomach and hold the book into the light, digesting page after page. I would put the book away only when the awkward position became too uncomfortable (or, on some occasions, when I became so engrossed in the story that I didn’t hear my parents walking past my bedroom door and got caught in the act; White Fang got confiscated one night, and I had to wait until morning to get it back).
All my life, I’ve loved reading. It’s hard to relate when someone says they’re not a reader, but reading for pleasure is on the decline, according to a 2023 study by PubMed Central. Reading for personal interest — with formats including books, magazines, newspapers, audio books, and e-books — has dropped to about 16% of adults in the United States, according to the study.
A love of reading generally begins in childhood. So what do we say when confronted by a child who says, “I don’t like to read”?
Longtime librarian and Reading Rainbow host Mychal Threets had an unexpected response to that question.
“I always tell those kids that’s okay,” Threets said during a talk for the International Society for Transforming Education. “[…] We don’t know why they’re feeling that way. Maybe they’re dyslexic. Maybe they haven’t addressed their own neurodivergence. Maybe they’re afraid of bullying; bullying is so rampant right now. Who knows what it is, but by saying that’s okay, it makes them pause. It makes them recalibrate their thoughts because so often they’ve been told, ‘You have to read. You need to read.'”
Threets acknowledges the necessity of reading and literacy to thrive in school and life, but he makes an important observation: “You have to meet people at a time where they can achieve it for themselves.”
He isn’t telling us to tell children, “That’s okay,” and leave it at that. His advice is to give children space to not feel ashamed when they aren’t experiencing joy or satisfaction with reading. We can acknowledge their feelings and give them grace so it removes some pressure. Meanwhile, we can continue to work toward fostering their appreciation for books.
Yi-Chin Lan, a kindergarten teacher with a PhD in curriculum and instruction, shared ten ways to help children fall in love with reading in an article for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. A theme throughout her list is creating situations that make reading fun and build positive associations with reading.
For example, she suggests family routines of reading together, which can encourage children to want to spend time with books because it also means special bonding time with family. She also recommends letting children choose the books — or any other reading material that interests them. “The nutrition facts on the milk box, newspapers, recipes, maps, and game instructions all make great reading material if your child is interested,” Lan writes.
She suggests rereading a child’s favorite book. Lan says repetition allows them to absorb information and master the story. Threets similarly emphasizes the importance of letting children choose which books to read and allowing repetition. If there’s a single book that a reluctant reader gravitates toward, it’s better than not reading at all. Instead, it can reinforce positive associations with reading.
“You have to let them read Dog Man a thousand times. I know, I’m so sorry, but you do,” Threets said during his address to the ISTE. “You have to do it. Because reading is supposed to be fun.”
Lan shares ideas to supplement reading and its increase fun, such as acting out the story or substituting character names with familiar people or pets in the child’s life.
I still remember sitting on my dad’s lap when I was around six years old as he read aloud a picture book about a character named Julie. It wasn’t until several years later that I realized he changed the name to mine; the character’s name was actually Judy. I tried a similar technique about two decades later when I wrote the Sarah & Katy duology; the title characters share the same names as my nieces, who were still developing readers when the books were written.
Room to Read, a nonprofit promoting children’s literacy and girls’ education across Asia and Africa, shares a similar list of tips to promote reading. One recommendation is to create a designated reading-friendly environment such as a home library or a reading nook. In the Playroom, a lifestyle and parenting blog, shares reading nook ideas that include repurposing a spare closet, creating a window seat, building a reading tent, and more.
Efforts to organically create a love of reading through positive experiences can be more successful than drumming the message, “You have to read because it’s important for your education and career success.” Instead of making it a chore or an obligation to read, we can strive to make it fun. It might take experimentation before finding the right books, reading material, or environment that resonate with a child, but that work is worth creating a new generation of avid readers.
__________
Yi-Chin Lan’s full list of recommendations: Fall in Love with Reading: Ten Simple Things you Can Do at Home
Room to Read’s full list of recommendations: How to motivate kids to read
In the Playroom’s reading nook ideas: 50+ Best DIY Kids Reading Nook Ideas
Julie Stroebel Barichello | Author 