4 Alternative Ways to Promote Reading in Your Family

Reading is one of the best ways for us to stay motivated, engaged, and connected. And, as we all know, it’s also a great way to relax after a long day. Unfortunately, reading has taken a backseat to everyday activities in the age of streaming services and social media feeds. 

It’s estimated that only 50 percent of adults read books these days—and if they do read them, they’re often doing so on their phones or tablets rather than in an actual book. So how can we encourage our children to pick up a book more often? Well, there are actually many ways you can get your kids excited about reading!

Be a reading model.

When you read to your kids, you’re not just teaching them to read—you’re teaching them to love reading. If your kids are still too young to read, start by asking them questions about the pictures in a book. Another way of promoting reading is to Introduce the use of children’s audio books as a form of reading. It can be helpful to keep their interest in reading even when you aren’t available to tell them stories.

As they get older, let them read to you. And remember: the more you read, the more likely your kids will follow in your footsteps and love reading themselves!

Create reading sprints.

If your family gets competitive, you might want to create reading sprints. These are short bursts of time where everyone reads for a set amount of time. Then, if a person is still reading when the timer goes off, they get the points!

Promote dialogue.

Reading is a great way to spend time together and engage in conversation. When you’re reading with your family, ask them what they think about what they are reading. Ask them questions about the book or summarize the story so far.

This will help reinforce their learning of what they have read and get them excited about reading more. If you find that your child is struggling with comprehension or fluency, this can be an opportunity to practice those skills as well! Reading aloud creates memories and promotes literacy, making it a win-win all around!

Mix up your reading activities.

This is a way to make reading exciting for your children and get your family involved in the reading experience. Reading activities such as readalongs, reading sprints, reading games, and readathons are a great way to prompt reading among your family. Book communities on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are perfect places to find readalongs and readathons.  

You can even make up your own reading games. For example, using a game like Cluedo to choose a book that matches a particular theme, genre or topic.

Conclusion

Reading is an important part of growing up and being informed, but it can seem like a chore. When this happens, try some new methods that aren’t your usual way of doing things. These four ideas are meant to get you thinking outside the box so you can find what works best for you and your family.