7 Ways to Make Reading Fun for Your Child

📚 7 Ways to Make Reading Fun for Your Child 

From Eardley Education Solutions
Eardley Education is dedicated to empowering young learners with engaging, research-backed strategies to build lifelong literacy skills. Creating an environment that supports reading and makes it fun is a key factor in improving their skill. Building a love of reading is less about drilling skills and more about making reading feel like play. Here are several strategies you can try:

1. 🔍 Tap into Their Interests

📖 Choice Is King: Ask your child to pick books (or comics, magazines, graphic novels) about topics they already love: dinosaurs 🦖, soccer ⚽, animals 🐶, Pokémon 🔴, space 🚀… whatever lights them up.

📺 Multimedia Bridges: If they enjoy a particular TV show or YouTube series, look for storybooks or chapter‐book adaptations. Familiar characters make the jump into print less intimidating.

2. 🏡 Create an Inviting Reading Environment

🛋️ Cozy “Reading Nook”: Set up a special spot—pillows, a beanbag, even a fun lamp—where reading feels like a treat.

🧺 Reading Forts: Let them build a blanket fort with you, then “camp out” inside with flashlights 🔦 and books. Novelty fuels engagement.

3. 👫 Make It Interactive & Socialrehensive Skill Building

📣 Read-Aloud & Echo-Reading: Take turns reading pages or sentences. Modeling for your child makes complex words easier, and echo-reading builds confidence.

🎭 Storytelling Games: After a few pages, pause and ask your child to predict what happens next, or act out a character.

🧸 Book Buddies: Pair up with a sibling, cousin, or even a stuffed animal to “take turns” reading. Pets 🐶🐱 make terrific reading buddies too!

4. 🎯 Gamify the Experience

⭐ Reading Challenges: Use a simple sticker chart. Every 10 pages earns a sticker, and 5 stickers equals a small reward (extra screen time 📱, picking dinner 🍕, etc.).

🧩 “Reading Bingo”: Create a Bingo card with squares like “read under the table,” “read a page in a funny voice 🤪,” or “read outside 🌳.”

🔎 Scavenger Hunts: Hide picture-clue cards around the room; each card leads to a short book or passage to read before moving on.

5. 💻 Leverage Technology & Alternative Formats

🎧 Audiobooks with Follow-Along Text: Apps like Audible or Epic! let kids listen while reading on screen, blending sight and sound.

📲 Interactive E-Books: Many e-readers have tappable words, animations, or read-aloud features that make each page feel “alive.”

📚 Library Apps: Liberated from fines or late fees, many kids enjoy the novelty of “borrowing” on a tablet or phone. Try Libby or Hoopla!

6. 🕒 Build Reading into Daily Routines

🍪 “Snack & Read”: After school, offer a favorite snack and 10–15 minutes of reading before homework or screens.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Reading Time: Create a daily “quiet time” where every family member reads independently—even adults with magazines!

🌙 Bedtime Stories: End the day with 5–10 minutes of reading together. Snuggle time = reading time ❤️.

7. 🎉 Celebrate Progress & Keep Pressure Low

👏 Praise Effort, Not Just Achievement: Notice when they stick with a tough word or finish a book, no matter how short.

⏱️ Short Sessions, Big Wins: If 5 minutes feels daunting, start there. Celebrate small milestones: “You read three pages today!” 🎉

🚫 No Forced Quizzes: Avoid turning reading into a test. Questions should feel like curiosity, not interrogation.

🔄 Next Steps & Follow-Up

✅ Use What Works: Which of these ideas gets the biggest smile? Double down on what clicks.

📸 Share Their Wins: Let your child show off a favorite passage to grandparents over video chat or snap a photo of them in their reading nook.

📬 Let Us Know: What kinds of topics or formats seem to interest your child most? We can suggest specific titles or activities based on their passions!

With patience, playfulness, and plenty of choices, reading can transform from homework into a secret superpower 🦸‍♀️. At Eardley Education Solutions, we’re dedicated to helping your child become a better reader. Turning reading from a task into a treat is one of the biggest steps you can take to make that happen. 🌟

Ready to Get Started?

We’re here to answer any questions you might have and to show you how our Student Success Coordinators can make a difference in your child’s education. Contact us today, and let’s work together to create a bright future for your child—without the stress.