10 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Kids to Love to Read

Teach your kids to love to read by encouraging a love for reading while they’re LITTLE. Today we have a collection of the best ways to encourage the love of books in even the littlest readers.

Encouraging reading in kids - Kids Activities Blog feature - child looking at camera while laying on bed reading a book — Let’s learn to love books!

Help Kids Love to Read

1. Read with your kids

No age is too little to start flipping through books together. Check out this great booklist by age I have over on The Realistic Mama. It’s a great resource to use if you are starting at your at home library or when borrowing books from your local library.

2. Play Reading Games and Do Pre-Reading Activities

Play reading games or choose a beginning reader activity to do together. Associate curiosity with reading.

Related: Check out these childrens book ideas

3. Teach the skills of sitting still and playing quietly

Reading isn’t only about opening books, focusing and sitting still are huge parts too. Quite time activities are a great place to start. Here are a few of our favorites:

Pipe Cleaner Bracelets — perfect for preschoolers to work on focus
Paint Chip Puzzles — puzzles are great for problem solving another skill used later for reading
And check out this list of 55+ More Quiet Time Activities

4. Make letter crafts to start early letter recognition

5. Don’t rush it

Kids will learn when their little brains are ready and for each kid the timing is going to look different. Pushing too hard too early will likely cause your little one to miss out on the fun part of reading.

6. Watch the Letter Factory

I used this with my kids and it was quick and easy and you will be singing along. Grab a copy of The Letter Factory and let it be your constant companion for one week and your kids will know all the sounds. Yep, one week – check out confirmation from our friend over at Your Modern Family.

7. Take trips to the library

Load up the minivan and take the kids to the library and bring home lots of books! We love keeping ours in a special book basket when not in use so they don’t get lost.

8. Reading Logs for Competitive Book Reading

For older kids start a reading log — it’s the perfect visual way for your kids to see their success.

9. Never underestimate a bedtime story

Read out loud at bedtime. If you are looking for a new bedtime favorite book, check out our favorite bedtime story books list.

cool bookshelf ideas for the kids room - collage of bookshelf ideas we love to keep books close — These bookshelf ideas are great!

10. Create a Cool Bookshelf

Keep lots of books around the house! And what better way than in an awesome book shelf?

Bookshelves for the Kids Room using old wooden spice racks — by Wonderful Joy Ahead (link unavailable)
Rain Gutters lining the kids bedroom — by Home Stories A to Z
Add shelves to the Side of Their Dresser — by On the Banks for Squaw Creek
Cubby on Wheels using an old skateboard — by Project Little Smith
Stacked DIY Painted Crates — by Crazy Little Projects
Love Bookshelf — by Do it And How
The Star is made out of individual boxes which create a gorgeous piece on your wall — by Apartment Therapy
Tree Branches — by Home My Design or if you’re feeling really organic use real tree branches!
Pallet Shelf is perfect for cookbooks in the kitchen — by Thriving Home
Upcycled Old Dresser Drawers — by Hometalk

I may have got a little carried away with all the cool bookshelves but hopefully my point came across: reading isn’t just about opening books, it’s about an opportunity to learn, have fun, bond, explore and create a whole world around your books!

More Book Fun from Kids Activities Blog

How to draw a book
Best kids books about space
Pre-reading skills are enhanced through our favorite preschool workbooks
Check out the Scholastic book club
Dolly Parton Imagination Library is really cool…check it out!

What is your child’s favorite book? How do you encourage reading at your house?