Games, books, activities and ideas to get your kids reading!
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
What does work.
Reading to your kid every day. The number-one thing you can do to create a reader.
Letting him see you read. Kids do what their parents do. If you don’t enjoy reading – fake it. Or read magazines or comic books or something.
Surrounding your kid with books. Access to books gives a kid ownership and once they feel entitled to books they’re more likely to casually pick them up – now and throughout their life.
What doesn’t work.
Nagging. Avoid lecturing about the value of reading and hounding a child who is not reading. Your child will only resent it.
Bribing. While there’s nothing wrong with rewarding your child’s reading efforts, you don’t want your youngster to expect a prize after finishing every book. Whenever possible, offer another book or magazine (your child’s choice) along with words of praise. You can give other meaningful rewards on occasion, but offer them less and less frequently. In time, your child will experience reading as its own reward.
Judging your child’s performance. Separate school performance from reading for pleasure. Helping your child enjoy reading is a worthwhile goal in itself.
Just taking the time to focus on literacy will bring your child one step closer to enjoying reading more.
Think about literacy. Take 30 seconds during the holidays – today – to reflect on how you can help your child become a better reader, enjoy books more and have greater access to books. Just taking the time to focus on literacy will bring your child one step closer to enjoying reading more. Here […]
Here’s a great game that can spark an interest in plot and character. (And giggling and goofiness.) By Jennifer A. Nielsen A great road trip game is called “No, It Wasn’t.” It’s played with partners. One begins telling a story—any story. The other interrupts as often you like with, “No, it wasn’t”—or any […]
What impact, if any, does access to print materials have on our children’s reading? A lot, according to extensive research by RIF, Reading Is Fundamental, a non-profit children’s literacy organization based in Washington, DC. Owning and borrowing books from the library causes, “positive behavioural, educational and psychological outcomes.” In other […]
Please Note: GKReading.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.ca.