Help your child develop a love of reading with these 10 simple ideas for making books enjoyable, building reading into everyday routines, and encouraging a lifelong interest in stories.
Reading can open the door to new places, interesting ideas, favourite characters, and plenty of imagination. But helping children become readers isn't only about teaching them how to recognize letters, sound out words, or finish a book. It's also about helping them discover that books can be fun.
Some children are naturally drawn to books from an early age, while others need a little more time to find stories that capture their attention. There is no single book, routine, or approach that works for every child.
Instead of putting pressure on how much or how often children read, look for simple ways to make books an enjoyable and familiar part of everyday life. Here are 10 ways to help your child develop a love of reading.
1. Let Your Child Choose the Books
Children may be much more interested in reading when they have some say in what they read. At the library or bookstore, give your child time to browse and choose books that catch their attention. They might pick a story about dinosaurs, a book filled with silly illustrations, a comic book, a book about trucks, or the same character they've already read about dozens of times.
Their choices don't necessarily have to be the books you would have picked. If your child is fascinated by bugs, space, animals, sports, construction vehicles, fairy tales, or jokes, look for books about those interests. Following what already excites your child can make reading feel less like something they have to do and more like something they genuinely want to explore.
2. Make Reading Part of Your Everyday Routine
Reading doesn't need to happen for a long period of time to become a meaningful family habit. Look for a small part of the day when books can fit naturally into your routine.
You might read:
- After breakfast
- Before a nap
- After school
- While dinner is cooking
- During a quiet afternoon
- Before bedtime
A familiar reading routine can give children something to look forward to without making books feel like an assignment. And don't worry if some days are different. You might read five books one evening and only have time for a few pages the next. What matters more is making books an enjoyable and familiar part of family life.
3. Create a Comfortable Reading Spot
You don't need a perfectly decorated reading nook or a separate playroom to create an inviting place for books. Choose a comfortable corner of your home and add a few simple things your child enjoys. Depending on your space, that might include:
- A small basket or shelf of books
- A comfortable chair
- Floor cushions
- A favourite blanket
- A few stuffed animals
Keep some books somewhere children can easily see and reach them. When books are readily available, children can choose one whenever they're in the mood to look through a story. Your reading spot doesn't have to stay in one place either. A blanket on the living room floor, a pile of pillows on the couch, or a shady spot outside can all become a temporary place to enjoy a book together.
4. Read Aloud Together
Children don't have to be able to read independently to enjoy books. Reading aloud gives families an opportunity to experience stories together, and it doesn't have to stop once children begin learning to read on their own. Let your child choose a story, get comfortable, and have fun with it.
Use silly voices for different characters, pause when something surprising happens, laugh at the funny parts, or talk about an interesting illustration. If your child wants to stop and ask a question halfway through the page, let the conversation become part of the experience.
You might ask:
- What do you think will happen next?
- Which character do you like best?
- What would you do if you were in the story?
- Can you find something funny in this picture?
- How do you think that character is feeling?
You don't need to ask questions on every page or turn storytime into a lesson. Sometimes simply reading and enjoying the story together is enough.
5. Visit the Library
A trip to the library can make choosing books feel like an activity of its own. Give children time to browse the shelves, look through books, and choose a few that interest them. Younger children may enjoy exploring picture books while older children might want to look for a favourite series, graphic novels, nonfiction books, magazines, or something completely new. You can also see what your local library offers for children. Depending on the library, there may be storytimes, reading programs, craft activities, book clubs, or other family events.
Consider making library visits part of your regular routine. A trip every week or two gives children the opportunity to keep discovering new books without needing to buy them all.
6. Read the Same Favourite Book Again
If your child asks you to read the same book for what feels like the hundredth time, you aren't alone. Adults may be ready for a new story long before children are.
Children often enjoy repetition because they know what to expect. They may begin remembering favourite lines, noticing details in the pictures, anticipating what happens on the next page, or joining in as you read.
Instead of worrying about always introducing something new, leave room for old favourites too. The book about the bear, truck, dinosaur, or very hungry character that your child wants every night may be exactly what makes reading exciting to them right now. You can always keep a few new books nearby whenever they're ready for something different.
7. Bring Books Into Your Child's Play
Stories don't have to end when you close the book. If your child particularly enjoys a story, look for simple ways to continue it through play. You might:
- Draw a favourite character
- Build something from the story with blocks
- Act out part of the book
- Make a simple puppet
- Dress up as a character
- Create a pretend version of a place in the story
- Make up a new adventure for the characters
If you've been reading a book about animals, children might create a pretend zoo with their toys. A story about a bakery could inspire a pretend bakery in the play kitchen. A book about space might lead to a cardboard-box rocket in the living room.
There is no need to plan an elaborate book-themed activity. Let the story provide the starting point and see where your child's imagination takes it.
8. Let Your Child See You Reading
Children learn a lot from watching the adults around them. When they see you reading a novel, cookbook, magazine, newspaper, or another book you enjoy, they see that reading isn't something only children do for school.
Talk casually about what you're reading. You might mention that you learned something interesting, that something in your book made you laugh, or that you're looking forward to finding out what happens in the next chapter.
You can also have a family reading time when everyone chooses something of their own to read or look through. Younger children can flip through picture books while older children and adults read nearby.
It doesn't need to last long. Even a quiet 15 or 20 minutes together can show children that reading can simply be something people choose to do because they enjoy it.
9. Explore More Than Storybooks
Not every child who loves reading will love the same kinds of books. If traditional storybooks aren't holding your child's attention, try something different. Depending on their age and interests, they might enjoy:
- Graphic novels
- Comic books
- Joke books
- Poetry
- Magazines
- Cookbooks
- Fact books
- Search-and-find books
- Books about animals or nature
- Books about sports, vehicles, science, or space
A child who doesn't want to sit through a long story may happily spend half an hour looking through a book about sharks or searching for tiny objects hidden in detailed illustrations. All of those experiences can help children discover that reading connects to things they already enjoy.
10. Keep Reading Fun
One of the simplest ways to encourage a love of reading is to avoid making every reading experience about performance. Children don't always need to finish the book, answer questions afterward, or read a certain number of pages. Some days they may want to listen closely to an entire story. Other days they may flip through the pictures, skip pages, talk about something completely unrelated halfway through, or decide they're finished after five minutes and that's okay.
Try to follow your child's interest and attention. If a book isn't working, put it aside and choose another one. If your child would rather listen while building with blocks, see if that works for your family. If they want the same funny book every night for two weeks, enjoy it with them.
The goal is to help children associate reading with curiosity, comfort, imagination, and enjoyable time together.
Make Books Part of Everyday Life
Helping children develop a love of reading doesn't require a complicated reading program, an enormous home library, or hours of reading every day. Start small and keep a basket of books somewhere easy to reach. Read a story before bed. Visit the library on a Saturday morning. Let your child choose the book even when it's one you've already read many times.
You can also look for reading opportunities beyond books. Read a recipe together while baking, look at signs while you're out for a walk, read the instructions for a new game, or let children help find an item on a grocery list. These small moments can show children that reading is part of everyday life.
Most importantly, give your child time to discover what kind of reader they are. One child may love funny picture books while another prefers facts about dinosaurs. Another may become fascinated with comics, mysteries, fairy tales, or books about how things work. Interests will change as children grow, and the books piled beside the bed today may look completely different a year from now. Keep offering choices, sharing stories, and making space for reading without putting too much pressure on it.
A lifelong love of reading can begin with something as simple as a comfortable spot, an interesting book, and a little uninterrupted time together.
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