Read to them. That's the only reliable -- almost guaranteed -- method.
Keep in mind that books DO NOT have to have pictures to catch the interest of a child, except for the very young. Many of the more popular selections are written to be easy to read, which is fine, if the child is reading alone. But the child isn't reading alone, when you are reading to them. To start, pick a book with a great story that you know that you can finish in a week.
I've turned many children into readers, and this method has been unfailingly successful.
You have to develop the interest for them. Reading to them shows them all the magic and mystery that reading holds.
Hey Shil1978, I had an incredible elem. school teacher who got me interested in reading. Her excitement for reading, and her excellent selection of books to read to the class, caused even me, a reluctant reader at the time, to really get interested in reading more. Here's my Hub "How to Turn Reluctant Readers Into Book-Lovers" with more details of the teacher's process I have tried to use to help kids through the years: http://rickmc.hubpages.com/hub/ReluctantReaders
My father loved reading (he still does), while no one ever read to me in my early years, my father made it a point to buy and give me books. That was how I developed my interest in reading. I did the same for my kids and they do love reading though they are distracted by many things like computers, tv, video games etc, things that never were there when I was growing up.
First model great reading habits. Show the kids that books are great friends by treasuring your own great reads. I think it is also important to read to kids. Read yto them even after they outgrow preschool picture books. Cuddle them on your lap and introduce them to great literature including Ramona Quimby and Harry Potter and all the many, many other friends waiting in the pages.
Getting children interested in reading is something most parents recognise as being very important. Children learn from reading, and it is hard to be successful in life without be able to read to a good standard. This article gives ideas on how to get your kids interested in reading. read more
I got my son interested in reading by creating a different voice for each character &/or just making it interesting in general. That helped him as he now will read on his own & from time to time I hear him doing the same thing that I used to do for him when I read to him.
I have something of an anecdote that perhaps might answer this question:
My Mother used to come into Primary (Elementary) school to help the children in reading time. One boy in particular had no motivation to read anything. Frustrated, Mum asked him whether he liked the book.
"No."
"What do you like then?"
"Football"
"Find a book about football then"
The kid then looked up in amazement, as if the idea of reading for recreation was a completely alien idea. It is my belief that schooling in its current form discourages reading because it associates it with work rather than for enlightenment and fun. The best way to encourage reading is to encourage interest.
"Interest can produce learning on a scale compared to fear as a nuclear explosion to a firecracker." - Stanley Kubrick
Kids will naturally want to read, and will soak it all up if they are not discouraged by the thought of it being a chore.
My four children are spaced apart by several years. I was a stay at home mom for the first two. Being at home gave me time and space to give them vast amounts of attention. I home schooled them for a while. Books were everywhere. They were in the bathroom and by their potty chairs when they were being potty trained. We went to the library often. I read to them every night. I asked them questions as I read sometimes after each page and when the book was finished. They loved answering the questions and posing questions to me also. My next child was ten years later and I was working full time. I was not able to be there as much for him and amount of reading was cut down dramatically since often I was too tired to engage so fully. My last was six years after that and she does not like reading hardly at all. They are all well-adjusted and reading does not make one better than another. I still think bringing joy to reading is incredibly important. So, my suggestion would be to make a specific time to read that is calm and focused. Make it fun. Find fun books. Find books that the child is interested in. If the child likes comic books, make them available. If the child wants to read math books, make them available. Get the child involved in the reading experience by asking them questions about the book and questions about what they think.
I would say a combination of reading to them on a daily basis, then tailor the books you choose to topics of interest to them. My cousin just started at college in the fall and since the college is mostly art and technology students, rather than making them read traditional textbooks the school has them use graphic novels for learning in their literature and composition classes. Not only do the kids learn, but the school has made it fun as well.
You have to read with them and take interest. My parents didn't do it with me so I have no interest. My wife and I do take interest in my daughter reading. And as a result she is very interested in it.
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