Getting Your Reluctant Reader to Fall in Love with Books

When I’m asked about how to get a student to fall in love with books, there’s no one “easy” solution. Just like actually falling in love, getting your child to love books takes time.

Undoubtedly, you’ve already tried everything you know how to do to get them to read. I see ample evidence when I speak with parents before tutoring. You may have a stack of books you’ve found for them, collecting various titles from the library, fellow parents, yard sales, etc. You’ve probably told them repeatedly to pick one up and read. Pouting ensures. You ask them again. Same result. You put your foot down.

Do these outcomes sound familiar?

They “fake” read.
They refuse to read.
They reluctantly read.

And none of them lead to actually loving reading.

It’s similar to getting a child (adults too, for that matter) to try vegetables. Plenty of people don’t like them as they are. That’s why so many recipes are sneaking veggies inside of smoothies, pasta, and other delicious food.

While I wouldn’t encourage you to dip a book in ranch dressing to make it more appealing, you can do a few things to promote a healthy reading habit with time and consistency.

Give Them Options

Handing them a book and expecting them to like it, let alone read it, is a gamble. Instead, have them look at several options from a pile. See any commonalities between titles they pick versus ones they don’t. Are they reluctant to pick up longer books but go straight for the shorter ones? Do they grab fantasy books over realistic fiction? From there, find similar titles they may be willing to try.

Find Books with Relatable Characters

Many kids perceive books as boring because they’re about things that aren’t exciting to them or are unrelatable. If your child plays a sport, they may like books that have a main character who plays that sport. That doesn’t mean that you have to look for strictly realistic fiction. Fantasy books with kids their age can still be relatable to them. Just add dragons!

Find Books Similar to Their Favorite Shows

Assuming their favorite show isn’t already based on a book (in that case, get them the book that started it all!), you can find books with a similar premise. Use apps like Goodreads to find recommendations or ask a local librarian for their suggestions (do it, they love it!).

Audiobooks and Graphic Novels Count

While you may want your child to get into reading “real” books, kids can ease into reading with audiobooks and graphic novels. Many graphic novels are part of a series and may even have written book “spin-offs” or extras kids will want to read.

Model Reading

The more an adult reads, especially a parental figure, the more likely your child may want to read, too. The earlier, the better, but it’s never too late to start good habits. That means if you’re not a reader, you can go on an adventure with your to find books you both can enjoy.