Motivating Young Readers

The Challenge of Learning to Read

As parents we know that reading is one of the most important skills our children must learn. It can also be one of the most challenging. Learning to be a competent reader takes time, focus, effort, and, perhaps most difficult of all, motivation.

As a former classroom teacher, outdoor preschool teacher and current home educator and parent, here are my top tips for motivating young readers:

Tips for Motivating Young Readers:

• Read out loud to your kids every day, starting in infancy.
• Find books that you enjoy reading out loud as a parent so your kids see you enjoy reading to them and with them.
• Ask questions about the books you are reading. Wonder out loud. Model what it looks like to think critically about what you are reading.
• Let your kids see you reading your own books simply for the joy of it.
• Point out that there are words and opportunities to read everywhere: maps, road signs, labels on packaged foods, fliers, articles, brochures. Smaller chunks of text in a variety of environments can be less intimidating to some new readers.
• Give kids opportunities for reading wins: have them read just a word or a sentence or a page at first. You have to start somewhere.
• Switch off reading together. Start with having your child read the first or last word in a sentence while you read the rest. Then have them read a sentence and you read the rest of the page. Soon you will be switching off reading pages or chapters together.
• Focus on progress rather than comparing to others. Much like other milestones, like learning to walk, different kids will reach reading milestones at different times. Encourage your child to reflect on how their reading is improving and celebrate each small win.
• Listen to audiobooks together. We love finding audiobooks our whole family enjoys for long driving days.
• Take the pressure out of reading. Acknowledge that learning to read will be challenging at times and will take focus, time and dedication. Knowing you need to work hard is not the same as feeling pressured. It is the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.
• Fill your home with good books. We live full time in our travel trailer but prioritized having a small collection of beautiful books on the bookshelf in our living room. Our kids have access to books at all times and can grab a book to read or browse through whenever they wish.