How to Get Young Kids Excited About Reading

Seven clever ways how to get young kids excited about reading. It’s never too early to read to your kids, and these tips are genius!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kellogg’s. The opinions and text are all mine.

I love to read, and passing that love of books on to my kids is very important to me. I have read to all three of my kids since they were babies, and I love when they bring me books on their own and ask me to read to them. But sometimes my preschooler and toddler would rather watch TV than read books, and that is not my favorite thing! Today I want to share a few tips on how to get young kids excited about reading that have worked for us and helped encourage my kids to read more.

1. Let them choose what books they want to read. Unfortunately, the books I want to read to my kids aren’t always ones they want to read, and that can sometimes discourage them from coming to read with me. So instead of picking what books we read myself, I let them choose what books they want to read. It makes a huge difference and I can tell they like reading more when it’s from a book they picked. My kids recently just picked a few free books from the Fantastic Scholastic Book Giveaway Program at Walmart. One box equals one book with purchase of participating products at Walmart stores, and you get to choose from 80 full-length Scholastic titles for beginning readers to teens. It only takes three steps to redeem, and it’s super easy, especially if you’re already used to uploading receipts and sending them through other rewards programs like IBOTTA or EBates. You just buy a participating Kellogg’s product, send a picture of the receipt via text (to 89332 with keyword BOOK) or email (to book@kfr.com), and then you get a free book credit to redeem for a free book of your choice at www.KFR.com/FreeScholasticBook! My son starts preschool next month, so while we were doing some school shopping we grabbed a few participating products. We had three credits to redeem so I let my 4-year-old pick two books and my 2-year-old pick one book. It’s worth taking the time to let my kids choose the book that’s “just right” because the right story at the right time can open a child’s eyes to new worlds and ideas. We haven’t gotten our books in the mail yet, but they ask me every day when their books will get here, and I know they wouldn’t be as excited if I had chosen the books myself! It’s so easy to buy, send, and get a free Scholastic book, and it’s such a simple way to build up your home library and get rewarded for things you’re probably already buying! And yes, sometimes letting your child choose what books you read together does mean reading the same book over and over, but it also means that we are reading for longer, so that’s a win in my book (see what I did there?).

2. Make sure their books are accessible. We just moved into a new house, and one problem we had with our old house was that the bookshelf with all my kids’ books on it was in their closet, which wasn’t very accessible. In the new house we are living in, there is a giant playroom in the basement, so the kids’ books are out where they can see them every day. This has made such a big difference in how much they are reading! Making sure that your children’s books are accessible is a huge part of getting young kids excited to read, because when they can see them and get to them, they’re more likely to grab one!

3. Provide a wide variety of books. I’ve been collecting books for my children’s library since before they were born, so we have tons of different kinds of books now. We have board books, picture books, beginning reading books, and books about all kinds of different things. Providing a wide variety of books with different lengths, genres, and reading levels can help your child find the right book at the right time, and ignite a love of reading inside them. We also love going to the library and checking out books, and the Fantastic Scholastic Book Giveaway Program is another great free way to provide a wide variety of books since there are over 80 full-length Scholastic books to choose from. The program runs through the end of November (you have to purchase products by 9/30/17, send the receipt by 10/30/17, and redeem your credits by 11/30/17), so you have plenty of time to stock up on lots of new, different kinds of books for your home library!

4. Point out colors, letters, numbers, and ask them questions about what they’re reading. My kids love it when I read with them, and I love it, too. One thing we do that makes reading special is we talk about what we’re reading as we go through the books. Depending on your child’s age, you can point out colors, letters, or numbers, and ask them questions about what they’re reading. It helps them stay focused and pay attention even better, and it’s a great way to make reading a happy habit at home.

5. Read stories about things they like. When my son was younger he was obsessed with trains, cars, and construction vehicles. One way we enjoyed what he liked together was to read stories about them! I can’t tell you how many different books we read relating to trains, cars, trucks, diggers, cement mixers, and bulldozers. It wasn’t my favorite, but he loved it and I know it helped him learn to love reading!

6. Read stories with characters they know. My kids also have both gone through phases of loving different characters, and when I let them pick books out at the bookstore or library, I almost always know what they are going to choose before they show me. Yes, we may have a lot of books at home about the same characters, but those books are the ones my kids keep coming back to, so it’s definitely okay with me!

7. Do activities together after reading the books. When we were doing Tot School, I would plan activities around the books that we were reading together. We read a book about the zoo and then we made a zoo at home with their stuffed animals, we talked about different animals and animal sounds, and then we finished it all off with a trip to the zoo. It helps get them excited about the things you’re reading about, and in turn, get them excited about reading!

We love reading in our home, and I know that by doing these things, my children’s love of reading and books will continue to grow, just like mine has. And we’re all so excited to get our books from the Fantastic Scholastic Book Giveaway Program soon! Don’t forget to grab participating Kellogg’s products next time you’re at Walmart and let your kids choose their own free books!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kellogg’s. The opinions and text are all mine.