As an adult, I’ve discovered a passion for both reading and listening to audiobooks. While reading wasn’t my go-to activity as a child, it has now become a purposeful pursuit for me—with a goal to expand my knowledge and be inspired. Truly, what better goals could there be?
I have three kids—one enjoys reading for pleasure, another does it for my sake, and the third is a budding book lover, still mastering fluent reading. My greatest wish is to inspire my children to read with purpose by encouraging them to explore various genres, seek knowledge in areas where they lack it, be inspired by true stories and biographies, and just be aware of the world around them.
As a parent, if you are invested in your child’s intellectual growth, then step in and find a way to influence them. I have found that I can do this by offering enticing incentives. I allow my children to read whatever they want as long as they include a few book choices from me. If they read 10 books a month, they can grab a gift from the goody box. Now I have kids who are not only willing to take my suggestions but also attempt to read more just so they can get to the prize box.
The Incentive: A Prize Box
I assembled this Prize Box earlier in the year, making sure it contained high-quality items worth keeping—nothing flimsy or disposable. I asked the kids if they had any preferences for items in the box and took their suggestions. I budgeted $100 total and purchased various items in the range of $3 – $10. Here’s a full list of what I have in our prize box.
- Stickers
- Mini Lego
- Knock Knock Joke Book
- More Knock Knock Jokes
- Fidgets
- More Fidgets
- Boys wallet
- Gratitude Journal
- Slinky
- Watch Band (for FitBit Inspire)
- Journaling Pens
- Pokemon-battery powered toothbrush
- Pouch
- Aqua art
- Puzzle Game
- Kanoodle
- Flower stickers
Additionally, my husband introduced add-on reading challenges and offered additional completion rewards with COUPONS for video game time, iPad time, and other treats. These are luxuries that aren’t freely given in our household. This strategy has been a great motivator, and our kids are keen to meet these challenges. If you choose to create a prize box, find what your child loves and fill the box with it.
Tips to Curate a Reading List for your child
If you are wondering how to influence your child’s reading list, the number one rule is to first allow them freedom to choose books for themselves first. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you start to curate a few books on their behalf.
#1 Assess Reading Preferences: Begin by understanding the types of books your child currently enjoys and learning what they are willing to try out.
#2 Introduce a Variety of Genres: Broaden their reading experience by including a diverse range of genres such as fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, and biographies to stimulate different areas of interest. For example, recently my daughter and I read a realistic fiction book called “The Mona Lisa Vanishes” by Nicholas Day, and we loved it. Who knew such a genre existed?
#3 Include Different Authors and Writing Styles: Encourage exploration of books written by various authors and those that showcase different writing styles to help develop a broader literary appreciation. For example, my daughter was not initially interested in “Harry Potter.” To pique her interest, I read a chapter aloud, specifically highlighting J.K. Rowling’s imaginative writing style. I love her writing style and her first chapter will certainly captivate you. My child was captivated and decided to give it a try.
#4 Recommend Specific Titles: Offer a specific book you may have read or heard of rave reviews. Make sure that it aligns with their interests and are known for captivating storytelling. My child, who has no interest in Science Fiction, loved “A Rover Story” by Jasmine Warga, a book she read after I begged her several times to give it a try.
#5 Maintain a Regular Reading Schedule: Consistency is key in building a reading habit, so set aside regular times for reading sessions, especially if you’re balancing this with other educational activities. On weekends, the kids and I hang out together for reading time around 2pm. Everyone has to bring a book to read, no excuses. On weekdays, most kids are required to read for 20 min as per school instructions. While there is no formal check on this ask, I personally like to use it as an excuse to get the kids to read before bedtime.
#6 Commend them for reading: Engage in discussions about the books your child reads to enhance their comprehension. Also, when you discuss the book, you are showing genuine interest in this activity with them. Give them some extra attention and motivation about how excited you are about how much they are enjoying their books. This is especially helpful with kids who don’t enjoy reading as much.
#7 Incorporate Feedback into Future Selections: Regularly solicit feedback on the books they read and use this input to guide future book choices, ensuring the selections remain engaging and relevant. Last year, I purchased a Book Log Journal for my kids to simply keep track of their books with a simple 5 star rating. I like to them ask them about the ratings to help me better understand what kind of books they are enjoying.
#8 Read-Aloud: Share the joy of reading by occasionally reading books together, discussing the plot, characters, and any underlying messages which can make for meaningful family time and deeper understanding. As I mentioned earlier, I picked the first book of Harry Potter and decided to read-aloud with my kids. It is a great way to bond with your children plus get them excited about a book they should not be missing out.
#9 Use Structured Reading Programs: For younger readers, consider a structured literacy program that systematically builds reading skills through phonics and storytelling. We use the program All About Reading and have had great success in using this. It includes lot of reading practice and stories. For those unfamiliar, All About Reading is a comprehensive phonics program with four levels that systematically teach children to read. Having used it successfully with my middle child, I can confidently recommend it as one of the best reading programs for supplementing education at home. Search my blog for more on All About Reading.
Conclusion
Reading needs to be an integral part of growing up and while not all may love to read the way we want them to, give them a better reason which is to expand their knowledge and experience the world around them.
(This post includes some affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)
