We’ve been there, too.  You were just about to do something (or that’s the story you’re sticking to), but the minute you’re told to do it, you no longer want to (or you want to even less).  Telling a child to read isn’t any different.  Sure, you can make your child read a few pages as you watch her under a scrutinizing gaze.

But let’s face it; getting a child to read through her tears is hardly the path towards a lifelong love affair with books. Instead, try a more tacit approach that won’t require any nagging at all. 

Here are 4 tips to get your child to read, without forcing, nagging or telling them they have to!

1. Appeal to their interests.

It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is, whether it’s something they’re going through at school or the latest SpongeBob SquarePants series. Hit up your local library and check out some books that align with your child’s interests.  Then sprawl them around your house where you know they can see it. Kids love novelty and if they see a book they’ve never seen before, they’re sure to at least pick it up, peruse it and read a paragraph or two just out of pure curiosity.

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2. Read in front of your child.

Many book-lovers will tell you that their curiosity for books developed far before they could learn to read. One author put it this way.  Watching his father immersed in books, he knew as a young child there was a hidden treasure in books.

If you spend all your free time in front of the TV, your child is likely to value TV too.  But before you think you have to quit TV altogether, consider setting aside just 15 minutes a day of reading time that’s done not on your phone.

More tips continued on next page...