Top 10: Ways to Make Reading Fun

Ideas to Make Reading Fun for Kids

This is from Home and Family Blog.  Thank you Home and Family blog for this great list of ideas!!

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10. Popcorn Reading:  Pass It Along…
This is a fun way for a child to be able to read the words he/she knows and pass on the words that are causing frustration. While reading a book together, each of you take a turn reading aloud. When the one who is reading says the word “popcorn”, it is the other persons turn to read.

9. Reading Buddy:  Siblings Can Help with Reading
Pair your reader up with an older “reading buddy” and have them read a book out loud together. We all have had times where an explanation of something made more sense coming from one of our peers or a sibling. This gives you child the opportunity to practice reading without an adults watchful eye causing possible nervousness.

8. Highlight Heaven:  Perfect for Kids who Love Staples!
Grab an older book and a highlighter and have your child highlight every word one the page that he/she can read. After all the words your child knows are highlighted on the page, take a moment and have your child look and see how many words he/she can actually read. This is quite a confidence booster.

7. Flashlight Reading:  Or Even Under the Covers
Before your child is too tired at the end of the day, take some time and read in dark room. Take a flashlight with you and read the book by flashlight. Little boys especially like this one.

6. Secret Hideout:  Make a Fort Reading Environment
What child hasn’t built a fort at one time or another? If you don’t already have a fort in your house or outside in the yard, help your child create one. It can a blanket fort, a plywood fort outside, a tree house, or even a simple under to bed fort. (Just make sure you both can fit…being able to get out once you’ve gotten in is helpful too!) Bring your child’s favorite reading book, get comfortable and read away.

5. Reading Corner:  A Special Place to Read
Make a “reading corner” somewhere in your home. Let your child be a part of decorating it and picking just the right spot to place it. Add some bean bags or pillows, maybe a favorite poster on the wall or even some family pictures.

4. Take a break: just read to your child sometimes
No explanation needed here.

3. Picture Detective:  Guess the Plot through Illustrations
Have your child flip through a book and look at all the pictures and tell you what he/she thinks is going to happen in the story. Read the story and see how close he/she was.

2. Pop-up word:  Make One Word a Physical Game
Pick one word that your child particularly has a hard time with and every time your child reads that word, both of you stand up. This will help him/her remember the word because an action is associated with it. This works particularly well with kinesthetic learners. (A child who wants to move all the time and likes to touch and feel everything.)

1. Star of the Story:  Personalized Stories (Make Up Your Own and Self Publish)
Have you ever seen a personalized story book where your child’s name is printed in the story? This is a unique way to get your reluctant reader excited about a book. In these kinds of books, your child’s name and the name of his/her friends are printed in the story-line, making your child the star of his/her very own book! How motivating is that? He/she will have to read the book to find out what kind of adventure he/she will be going on!

Sometimes all it takes to make reading fun is some imagination and a change of scenery.