Reading is essential for success in school and in life. But motivating kids to read—especially when they’re young—can sometimes be a challenge.

This is why I’ve put together a list of 11 fun ways you can motivate young, budding readers. Motivational ideas: from setting up a home library to joining a book club, these motivational ideas and tips are sure to get your little ones excited about reading.

Why Do Some Kids Need Motivation to Read?

Children are not born avid readers. Some kids take to reading naturally, but others need a little extra motivation to get started. If you find yourself wondering if your child might never read take heart. On average most kids can read just fine it's the instructional methods that need tweaking along the way. 

For over active kids the idea of sitting still for even a few minutes can be hard and cause many a tearful teaching session. Other children may have undiagnosed reading issues like dislexyia that will take time to uncover. These children need a little extra motivation to see the joy in reading. While I don't profess to be an expert on children's LD's I do have some great motivational tools to share!

My Favorite Ways to Motivate My Young Readers

So here it is, my favorite ways to motivate my young readers. Maybe you will have tried some of these already?

🌷1. Leave secret notes- my kids LOVE this. If my child is being a reluctant reader — nothings get them reading like a note from me. Be sure the note has words they are capable of decoding/reading!

🌷2. Stickers! Kids just love stickers 😂

🌷3. Don’t over-face the child. Don’t give books that are too difficult and squash their confidence.

🌷4. Decodable readers are the name of the game!  Our books are designed to be decoded with phonics right at your child’s level. Books that use "look and guess" or more of the whole word method may cause reading issues later. 

🌷5. Keep reading sessions short! 2-3 minutes at first! The child is more excited to read if they know it will be short and sweet.

🌷6. Take turns! You read a page then have the child read the next page. Or switch sentences!

🌷7. Focus and praise their good efforts! We all like this and it builds our confidence.

🌷8. Do a fun activity together after they read where you connect as a reward.

🌷9. Go back and review the phonics if they are struggling. It’s okay to take a step back and get the foundation super solid.

🌷10. Go outside and read! A change of environment makes things seem fresh.

🌷11. My kids love reading books when they come in the mail— it’s just so exciting and alluring! I order a few books each month at their level and let them open and read them.

Finding Unique Ways That Are Meaningful For Your Young Reader

It can be difficult to find ways to motivate young readers, but it's important to find ways that are both meaningful and fun for your child. Here are some ideas:

1. Find out what your child is interested in and try to find books on that topic. If they're interested in dinosaurs, for example, look for books about dinosaurs. If they're interested in sports, look for books about sports.

2. Make reading time special by setting aside a specific time each day for reading. This can be before bedtime, after breakfast, or whenever else works for you and your child. During this time, turn off all electronics and give your undivided attention to your child as they read.

3. Take turns reading with your child, so they see that you enjoy reading too. This can also help them understand the material better, as you can take turns reading different parts or pages aloud.

4. Encourage active reading by having your child do things like drawing pictures of the characters in the book, re-enacting scenes from the story, or writing their own ending to the book.

5. Reward your child for their efforts by letting them choose a new book when they finish one, taking them to the library or bookstore, or praising them verbally and with hugs and kisses. Our program includes fun wooden character toys you can use as rewards for completing a level!

Our reading program includes great motivational tools.

Reading should be fun for kids! They should be able to see progress being made and have a sense of accomplishment when they complete reading activities. However, sometimes getting kids motivated to read can be difficult. Here are some ways that our reading program activities can help motivate young budding readers:

-Kids can see their progress. Our reading program includes different levels so that kids can see their progress as they move up. This provides a sense of accomplishment and motivates them to keep reading.

-They can practice their reading skills while using our accompanying activity packs, which include games, crafts, puzzles, scavenger hunts, and more fun learning activities. Kids are so busy enjoying themselves that they don't know they are learning, but you do.

-Each book has a mini lesson that introduces our groundbreaking concepts. The child will master each mini step with a fun sticker chart. 

 -They will then continue on to read an entire story with the concepts, sounds, and words they already know, eliminating the frustration that comes with moving too fast when learning to read.

 Being proactive and teaching your children how to read correctly will give them the best foundation for their entire education. To find out more about our early reading program, stop by our reading program page.