My Child Can Read—But Hates to Do It.

Maybe you’re the parent of a child who can read. It’s just that he or she doesn’t want to! Sometimes a child who could be a really good reader resists reading and shows no interest in reading for pleasure.

Is there anything you can do to change this, to foster a lifelong love of reading and books? Yes! Here are my suggestions:

1. Select a topic your child your child is really interested in.

All kids are passionate about something: the White Sox, Barbie Dolls, Pokemon cards. As you know, there are books about everything. Make a point of looking in the public library or local bookstore for books on your child’s favorite topic, at his or her own reading level. You can even include oversized picture books from the adult shelves, say, on maps or doll houses or space travel. A boy I tutored who was preoccupied with knights and armor was so fascinated by large illustrated books on medieval warfare he started reading those books all by himself.

2. Strategically scatter the books around the house.

Once you’ve gotten a few of those ‘irresistible’ books, casually scatter them around the house. One mother reported that her daughter picked up several books from the coffee table to ‘try out’ and has already finished one of them. ‘If I’d handed it to her and asked her to read it, she would have resisted,’ said the mother.

3. Make library or bookstore trips a regular activity.

Begin taking your child to the bookstore or library to make his or her own choices. Make it a regular outing. It’s fun to cultivate the friendship of the children’s librarian or the bookstore owner, who can set aside special titles for you and your child. Or you can surf the net together and buy books online through amazon.com, which some kids will especially enjoy.

4. Make a story exciting by reading the first few chapters out loud.

If your child is old enough to enjoy chapter books, try reading the first two or three chapters aloud. If you stop at the exciting parts, the child may get impatient and start reading ahead! The Box Car Children by Gertrude Warner is full of adventures, and highlights qualities such as cooperation and initiative in children. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, The Hobbit by Tolkien, and the Harry Potter series are excellent for reading aloud. Of course, your child’s responses can help you choose the books he or she will like the most.

5. Use a video to introduce a story.

Trying choosing a video and two or three different versions of a favorite children’s classic, like The Wizard of Oz or Tom Sawyer. After watching the video, compare the different versions of the book with your child. How is the language the same and different? What about the illustrations? Which version does he or she like best, and why? How well did the movie-makers do in capturing the essence of the book? Read one of the books out loud to or with your child. Encourage conversations about how he or she pictures the characters and setting.

6. Set up an after-hours reading lamp in your child’s bedroom.

Explain that the bedtime hour will stay the same, but reading in bed after the bedtime hour is fine. One father reported that she gave his eight-year-old a flashlight for bedtime reading, and this semi-clandestine after-hours activity prompted a nightly ritual of reading for pleasure.

7. Help your child find ways to identify with story characters.

8. Restrict TV watching.