The Secret Trick That Made My Kid Read More (Without a Fight!)
I’ve cracked the code. Seriously—the holy grail of getting kids to read more books. And guess what? It’s super simple (but brace yourself, because your kids might not love it at first).
Are you ready?
You might roll your eyes, but trust me on this…
Step 1: Cut the Tech (Gasp!)
Pick one designated tech day per week—TV, video games, and cell phones are off-limits the rest of the time. Yes, this is the hardest part. Yes, they will complain. Stay strong.
READ ABOUT VIDEO GAME ADDICTION
Step 2: Books, Books, Everywhere!
Scatter books all over the house—on tables, counters, nightstands. Accessibility is key because let’s be real, kids won’t actively go to a bookshelf. But when they’re bored and their phone isn’t an option? Boom. They read.
Step 3: Respond to “I’m Bored” With…
“Oh no, that’s too bad! Have you read a book today?” (Watch their face drop. It’s priceless.)
Step 4: Leverage the Power of Reading
Want to go to a friend’s house? More game time on tech day? Some extra cash? Earn it by finishing a book.
Now, will they love this? Nope.
Will they suddenly become bookworms overnight? Also, nope.
But here’s the magic: They will read.
At first, they’ll sigh, complain, and dramatically flop on the couch, maybe argue…., ok, they WILL argue. But take away the tech long enough, and boredom will lead them straight to books.
We started this months ago—total game changer. Less arguing (over time). Less moodiness (because, let’s be real, tech is like kid-cocaine). Now? Books are on every surface, and my son actually chooses to read to fill his time. He bounces between different books, but guess what? He finishes them. He is finally reading more books!
And then something amazing happened…
He started asking for more books.
If you ask him, “Do you like reading?” he’ll still say no. But here he is, reading all the time.
Funny what boredom can do.
Can’t find books your kiddos love? Check out this book list for kids and teens from Scholastic.
