How to Help a Child Fall in Love with Reading

Many parents worry when their child does not immediately enjoy reading. Surrounded by screens, games, and fast entertainment, books can sometimes feel slow by comparison. Yet a love of reading rarely appears overnight. Like many good things, it grows slowly through small experiences.

Reading in bed.

One of the most helpful things parents can do is simply make books a normal part of everyday life. Children who grow up seeing books around them on shelves, beside beds, or carried in bags begin to see reading as something ordinary and welcoming rather than something they are required to do.

Reading aloud together is often where the journey begins. Long before children can read independently, they can enjoy listening to stories. The sound of a parent’s voice, the rhythm of the words, and the pictures on the page help build familiarity with language and storytelling. These moments also create a powerful sense that books are connected to comfort and connection.

Choice also plays an important role. Children are far more likely to enjoy reading when they are allowed to explore topics that genuinely interest them. For some children this might be animals, mysteries, adventures, or humour. For others it might be books filled with colours, letters, or simple discoveries. When children feel ownership over the books they read, reading becomes an adventure rather than an obligation.

It can also help to remember that reading does not always need to look perfect. A child might flip through pages quickly, ask questions halfway through a story, or want to read the same book over and over again. These habits are all part of the process of building familiarity and confidence.

The most important thing is patience. A love of reading grows through repeated positive experiences, a story before bed, a quiet moment on the couch, or a shared laugh over a favourite page. Over time those moments add up, and books become something children return to willingly.

A small thought to leave you with: A lifelong reader often begins with a single story shared at the right moment.

With thanks for reading,

Marcella