Sixteen sneaky ways to get a reluctant reader reading

Reading is so important for children. Did you know the average reading age of adults in the UK is 9? 9! That means, naturally, that there is a large proportion of adults with a higher reading age, but there is also a large proportion with a reading age well below that too. Shocking, isn’t it? It’s so important to get kids reading early. Because reading as an adult isn’t just about reading books for pleasure. It’s about forms, emails, texts, applications, signs, small print, instructions, warnings, terms and conditions, agreements, contracts. It is absolutely necessary. And alongside that, there are the endless benefits: reading improves concentration, reduces stress, helps sleep, increases your knowledge, and exercises the brain among many other things. 

But above all – it can make us feel. Happy, sad, POWERFUL. 

So if your child is reluctant to pick up a book, don’t give up. Just encourage them to read in other ways. All children are different. Building confidence in reading can start in many areas and it will grow and grow. Not all children will enjoy reading a book in the traditional sense. But all children should be encouraged to read, and there are loads of ways to do that, without them even realising. Here are sixteen sneaky ways to get the most reluctant reader reading:

1. Cooking – they’ll read recipes and ingredient lists and you get cakes and treats. Win-win.
2. Word searches – amazing for vocabulary and recognizing words, and building their own grid is fun too.
3. Cartoon strips – like Calvin & Hobbes or The Beano are short and sweet and funny too.
4. Spot the alphabet – on journeys or walks find business names or places with each letter of the alphabet.
5. Top trumps – good fun but also great for reading, often with some interesting category words.
6. Instruction manuals – get them to read what to do with a new toy/gadget. You’d be surprised how interesting some children find these.
7. Subtitles on videos/tv programmes – actually an excellent way for sneaky reading.
8. Graphic novels – Pokemon or kid-appropriate manga books are perfect for getting the imagination fired up.
9. Joke books – yes this option can be a tad tedious… But they’re reading!

“I’ve been reading a book about anti-gravity…I just can’t put it down!”

Magazines – celebrate their interests with a hobby magazine Warships magazine or perhaps the Angling Times.

Reference books – especially compilations like encyclopaedias or world record books can be great as they have small snippets to pick and choose from.

Quizzes – You can find quizzes about anything; tv shows, sports, animals, which Marvel character are you…the possibilities are endless and the interactive aspect will keep them engaged. (TIP: there are bucket-loads on the CBBC website)

Walks – there are routes you can download to your phone with steps and facts to read along the way. This has the added incentive of holding a phone, which as we know is an excellent pull.

Museums, town halls, memorials – there are plenty of free places to visit that have information signs to read, often aimed specifically at children.

Song lyrics – learn the lyrics to their favourite songs. These are probably not the best examples of good grammar but it’s a start, and it’s fun!

Interactive storybooks – like the Usborne puzzle adventure series, or my very own Sixteen Sizes Smaller. When the child is involved in moulding the story themselves it keeps them gripped for a lot longer.

Do you have any more sneaky ways you help your children read? I’d love to hear them!

Ruth x