Reluctant Readers – 20 Tips On Getting Them Hooked On Books!

As a children's book author and the parent of a (former) reluctant reader, I've learned one thing is important above all else when getting your kids to fall in love with reading: you've got to be proactive. Grab that young bull by the horns and get him reading by any means necessary! Make it fun, of course, but make it WORK as well.
To help get you started - and create a household full of lifelong readers, I offer you the following easy-to-implement tips for success!
1. Be a reading role model. You are your child's hero. He wants to emulate you in every way possible. So when your child sees you reading at home, he is that much more likely to pick up the habit himself. In this regard, turning your child into a great reader is as easy as catching up on all your favorite books and magazines.
2. Spend more time at the book store. Make a weekly sojourn to your favorite bookstore. And don't just get in and get out. Take your time. Make a Saturday morning event out of it. The major chain bookstores encourage loitering. So head on out to Borders or B&N, grab a cup of coffee and some shot chocolate (they're going to ask for a sweet roll or something, so take this opportunity to use that as an "ethical bribe" to spend more time in the book section than the music section), and spend an hour or two poring through the thousands of books and magazines in the store. It's a simple, powerful bonding experience and one that promotes a love of reading to boot!
3. Get involved at the school library. Every librarian is grateful for help from volunteers. Whether it's coming in to read to the kids, or just helping to organize the stacks, your child will see your level of commitment to the library and say, "Hmm. This place MUST be cool if Mom and Dad are hanging out here!"
4. Use books with strong visuals. Children, especially boys, respond to stories with strong visual elements! Compelling pictures make them want to know more about the words that accompany the images. I can't emphasize this point enough.
5. Read to your child every day. The most obvious point is also the most powerful. Reading to a child is the single most effective way to build a love of books. Set aside time to read with your kids. Make it a regular occurrence at a given time every day. It's good for you and even better for them! Essentially what this does is anchor the experience of reading with the emotion of love. It's the best gift you can give your child.
6. Keep the TV watching to a minimum. Another seemingly obvious point, but television watching is a passive exercise that does little to help build a child's reading skills. Click off the TV and grab a book. Then head for the couch with your child!
7. Move from the book to the real world. If you read a book about dinosaurs, why not accompany it with a trip down to your local natural history museum? The more you make reading "come alive", the more your child will hunger for more.
8. Make a competition out of it. Play games at home with your kids to get them to read more. Make a chart and keep a running total of how many books your child reads each week, then see if you can do more next time.
9. Offer more incentives. Some kids respond better when there is a reward involved. Without making reading seem like a daunting chore, offer up a treat or two after the child does his reading for the day.
10. Connect reading with the things they love. If your child loves baseball or pirates, then get him books about baseball and pirates. Non-fiction books are just as good as fictional stories when it comes to building a lifelong love of reading.
11. Act it out. Sing a song. Young children (especially boys) acquire knowledge more effectively when stimulated by music and movement. So act out the stories. Sing a song when you read. Get up and do a dance. Heck, it's in the privacy of your own home – so go nuts, have fun and enrich your child!
12. Give books as gifts. A toy? That will likely be gathering dust within the week. But a great book – that will last for months and months. And the gift of reading? That lasts forever. And don't wait for a "special occasion" to give this kind of gift. Do it often to let your child know that books aren't just for birthdays or Christmas.
13. Keep it light. Remember, your tastes in literature and your child's may differ wildly. Support him in reading what he wants to read, not just what you think he should be reading. Boys will not digest what is force-fed to them.
14. Get involved. Take an active role in what your child is reading. Ask him questions about his books. Engage him wherever possible. Learn to become interested in what interests him!
15. Keep books in your car. Turn the family car into a bookmobile. Unhook the portable DVD player and fill the back seat up with a selection of your child's favorite books.
16. Sign your child up for a magazine subscription. Books aren't the only way to get your child reading. Magazines come loaded with cool stories and pictures - and give your child something worthwhile to look forward to every month in the mail.
17. Reading: It's not just for bedtime anymore! You read to your child every night before he goes to bed. Good for you! Take it to the next level - begin by taking an hour on a weekend. Then gradually make more "regular" times every week that focus on reading. After breakfast? Before dinner? Those work!
18. Have your child read to you. Provided that your child is old enough, have him read his favorite book to you. It will help build his reading skills – and show him how interested you are in his most prized books and stories.
19. Read books from a series. I created the Time Soldiers® series of adventure books because I knew that once a child finds a series he loves, he's going to want more and MORE! By introducing a series into your child's reading repertoire, you're building excitement and anticipation for the next book.
20. Provide lots of praise. When it comes to reading, you can't give a child too many strokes. Let him know how PROUD you are that he's reading. Build his confidence through hugs and praise.
Above all else, ENJOY the time you spend reading with your child. These are among the most precious and special moments you will ever share together. This is the stuff memories are made of!