Although all kids are taught to read in school, not all of them actually enjoy reading. However, many studies support the idea that reading often and for fun can help improve children’s academic performance in all subjects.

Reading has shown to help improve language skills such as writing and speaking, critical thinking skills, and even math skills. With all the benefits of reading, many parents might search for “how to help my kid read every day”.

Reading every day, even for just 20 mins, can help your kid improve their reading skills and also helps to get them to actually enjoy reading. Here are some tips to get your child to read every day and actually enjoy it:

•  Schedule family reading time 

Reading as a family is a great way to bond with your children, but also helps them to see how much you enjoy reading. This helps give them a model for good reading habits. 

• Use a reading app 

A reading app is a great interactive way to help your child actually enjoy reading.

A great overall reading app is Readability which operates as a private tutor for your child.

The app has the option of being used like an audiobook so that it reads the story to your child as they follow along, or the app can even listen to your child as they read the story then provides them error correction and feedback.

Readability is great for you as well because it provides progress reports so that you can keep track of your child’s improvements.

•  Provide different books with different reading levels 

One reason your kid could be discouraged or not motivated to read is that they are not getting the right books for their reading level.

You want to provide a wide variety of reading materials.

Of course, you want to have books that are in your child’s reading level but you also want to provide books that are just one or two levels above. This helps keep your child motivated to read and prevents them from getting bored. 

•  Let your child pick books 

If your child is picking the books they are reading, they will be more motivated and invested in actually reading them.

The next time you and your kid go book shopping let them choose a couple of books themselves. You can also work together to find books that are about things that interest them such as their favorite tv show, characters, or sports team. 

• Create a reading nook

Creating a space specifically for reading can help your child focus. Having a designated area also helps them to put value in reading as an important habit to keep up. 

• Turn your child into the teacher 

Your child might have some fun reading to a younger sibling to help them learn to read. You can even have your child teach you a few things about reading. When your child is teaching, they are actually learning and practicing the skill even more.

•  Read to them and with them 

Many parents already read to their kids, but it could be another great practice to take turns reading. Instead of reading an entire story to your child, take turns reading one page or paragraph. 

• Laugh out loud 

Using humor can help your child want to read more and more. Select books in your child’s reading level that are funny and read one page to them to get them interested. Then, if they want to continue the story, encourage them to read the rest of the story on their own. 

•  Listen to audiobooks 

Audiobooks can help create a multisensory experience when it comes to learning to read. Reading is often taught in one way.

However, not all kids learn by simply staring at words on a page. They need a more well-rounded approach.

Audiobooks can help encourage reluctant readers to practice reading on their own. Instead of turning on the radio in the car, you can have your kids listen to an audiobook during the drive. 

•  Give them a break 

A key tip for getting your child to read every day is to let them take breaks when they need it. Forcing your child to read when they want to will only make them more resistant to reading. Let them take a break to help encourage them to come back to the activity on their own.

If you want to raise an avid reader, you have to come up with ways to keep reading interesting and fun for them. Different strategies such as using books of different reading levels or creating a reading nook can help make reading fun for your child. Incorporating technology such as audiobooks or apps like Readability can help make reading more interactive, so your child will want to read every day.