How to Spark Your Child’s Love for Reading—Without Pushing Them

Understanding the Resistance: Why Reading Feels Like a Chore

If your child rolls their eyes every time you suggest reading a book, you're not alone. Many parents watch their children struggle to engage with reading—not because they lack the ability, but because they haven't yet found a reason to care. At the end of a long school day filled with structure, rules, and expectations, sitting down to read can feel like just another obligation.

But what if the issue isn’t reading itself, but rather how it’s being framed? For children aged 6 to 12, their emotional relationship with reading is just as important as their technical skills. When something is enforced, it easily becomes a source of tension. Instead, the goal is to invite curiosity—not demand compliance.

From Pressure to Pleasure: Reframing What Reading Means

Reading doesn’t have to look like a child sitting silently, nose-deep in a book. In fact, it doesn’t always require a physical book at all. We can broaden what we define as “reading” for kids. Comic books, joke books, cookbooks, or illustrated encyclopedias can all be valid entry points. So can listening to stories, especially for children who struggle with decoding text or have learning challenges that make traditional reading stressful.

Explore media that prioritizes storytelling, such as audio series or dramatized tales. Apps like iOS and Android versions of LISN Kids offer original audiobooks specifically designed for kids aged 3 to 12. These engaging audio stories can help them form positive associations with narrative and language, paving the way for reading to become a choice, not a fight.

Start Where They Are: Connection Before Instruction

Think about what lights your child up. Dinosaurs, space, pets, mysteries, sports, mythology—the list is endless. Begin by feeding their interests. If they're obsessed with space, borrow books that explain rocket launches in a fun, age-appropriate way. Or sit together and search for space-themed graphic novels.

This approach is about meeting curiosity where it lives. Once a child associates reading with something they care about deeply, it becomes easier to explore beyond it.

Make Reading a Shared Experience, Not a Solo Mission

Reading out loud doesn't have to end after kindergarten. For many kids, even older ones, being read to is a comfort. It removes performance pressure and fosters connection. And when done consistently, shared reading develops attention span, vocabulary, and imagination.

Try creating a ritual around books—a story before bed, a weekend morning chapter on the couch together, or even listening to an audio story during car rides. As discussed in this article on building connection with stories, shared narrative experiences offer a quiet, powerful way for families to reconnect in a distracted world.

Let Go of the Timeline

The reading journey doesn’t follow a universal schedule. Some children dive into chapter books at seven; others don’t find joy in reading until ten or twelve. That’s okay. The key is to stay patient and keep offering opportunities without expectation. This helps keep the atmosphere around reading light and encouraging, not filled with tension or disappointment.

Celebrate small wins. Did your child read five pages from a book they chose themselves? Amazing. Did they quote a line from an audiobook chapter? That’s comprehension and memory at work. These moments are more meaningful than hitting an arbitrary benchmark.

Explore Reading in Every Day Life

Not all reading happens in books. Recipes, magazines, scavenger hunts, puzzles, or even online research can count. You can bake together using a recipe your child reads aloud, or design a family board game that involves reading cards or instructions. These make reading feel relevant and useful, rather than isolated and academic.

Keep Storytelling Alive

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of storytelling. Kids learn to love stories before they ever learn to read them. If you're looking for a softer gateway into narrative comprehension, storytelling itself—through conversation, audiobooks, puppet shows, or pretend play—can build the same fundamental skills.

Children who feel empowered through story tend to be more resilient, creative, and emotionally aware. As explored in this article about how stories help children handle social challenges, stories can become a scaffolding for life itself.

Final Thoughts: Focus on Relationship, Not Results

Encouraging a love of reading isn’t about mastering decoding; it’s about nurturing a relationship—with ideas, with language, and with self-expression. It takes time, trust, and a willingness to let go of what reading “should” look like. Your child might not become an avid reader overnight—and that’s completely okay.

What matters most is that they feel seen, supported, and never shamed for where they are. Keep inviting them gently into the world of stories in all its formats—from paperback to podcast. One day, the switch might flip. Until then, you’re laying a foundation that runs deeper than pages.