6 Ways to Excite Your Reluctant Reader with Books!

Does your kid groan every time you suggest picking up a book? You're not alone. Plenty of students — smart, curious, capable ones — avoid reading in their free time. The solution usually isn't to add pressure but to take a different approach! Here are seven strategies that actually work:

1. Start with what interests them, not what impresses others

There's no rule that says reading has to start with the classics or school-assigned texts. If your child is interested and engaged, that's a win. Does your kid love soccer, dinosaurs, or a specific video game franchise? Ask your local librarian for book recommendations or let your child find one themselves. Starting with familiar interests removes the barrier of unfamiliarity and gives reluctant readers an immediate reason to care. Build a love for reading first; the literary canon can wait.

2. Let them pick — no vetoes!

Students read more when they choose their own books. Giving kids genuine control is one of the most powerful reading motivators out there. That means resisting the urge to redirect them toward something more "educational." A book they picked themselves, even a silly one, is more likely to get finished than an assigned one they resent.

3. Try audiobooks (it's not cheating!)

Just like print, audiobooks develop vocabulary, comprehension, narrative understanding, and a love of storytelling. For kids who struggle with decoding or have reading differences like dyslexia, listening can be a total game-changer. Bonus: you can enjoy them together on road trips or while doing chores. Listening to a book is not a shortcut; it's a legitimate way to engage with text!

4. Read alongside your child

Kids notice what adults do, not just what they say. If reading time in your house means kids read while adults scroll, the implicit message is that reading is a chore. Read a book together or try 15 minutes of parallel reading — you with your book, them with theirs — to normalize reading as something people do for fun!

5. Make it cozy and low-pressure

Timed reading logs, comprehension quizzes, and reading-as-homework all signal that reading is an obligation and make it feel like a chore or a test. At home, keep it low-stakes by creating little rituals: a comfy spot, a snack, no timer. Help your child associate reading with relaxation, not performance. It doesn't have to take long. Ten pages before bed is better than zero.

6. Reframe "giving up" on a book

Finishing a book is great, but so is reading three chapters, abandoning it, and trying something new. Normalize the idea that not every book is for every person and finding the right book sometimes takes a few tries. Teaching kids to recognize when a book isn't working for them, and to try another without guilt, helps them develop an identity as a curious reader rather than a reluctant one!

The bottom line? Reluctant readers aren't kids who don't like reading; they're kids who haven't found the right conditions or the right book. With a little flexibility, patience, and maybe a graphic novel or two, that can change faster than you'd expect.

The Institute of Languages, Mathematics, & Sciences (ILMS) provides individualized, inclusive tutoring for students of all grade levels, online and in-person in the Rockford area. Contact us at (708) 581-8617 or ilms_office@ilmstutor.com to discover how we can help your child today!