If you see your child showing very little interest in reading, do not lose heart. You might have to use a few sneaky tactics, but there it is totally possible to inculcate a love of reading in your child. Here are a few ways by Helene Goldnadel to get your child to read:
1) A great way to get your child to read is to send them to bed early. This might seem counter-productive, but you can use a little trick to get him to read in the bed by simply setting his bedtime an hour to 45 minutes before he actually needs his lights to be out.
Here's how a typical bedtime routine designed to get your child to read would look: your child brushes his teeth (another good habit you must inculcate!) and uses the bathroom. Then you read him his favorite stories before the official bedtime. Then, you give him an option: he can either stay up a bit and read, or have the lights out and go to sleep.
Most kids dislike going to sleep early. Unless your child is very tired, he will choose the first option and stay up a bit to read. This way, he will feel that he is "cheating" his official bedtime by getting to stay up late. The great thing about this technique is that you don't have to do anything manipulative to get him to read; it comes naturally to him.
It's important that you back off and let your child read whichever book he chooses at this time. You can go out of the room (unless he wishes otherwise) and come back in an hour or so to turn off the lights and kiss him goodnight.
2) Pretty much every library has a summer reading program. If your local library does not have such a program, you can set one up yourself, and use rewards as incentives to read.
Every time your child finishes a book, or reads a certain number of pages, you can give him a reward. For example, every time your child finishes a 100 pages, have him roll a dice and get a different reward for the number he gets. Make sure that the rewards are desirable otherwise the child will lose all interest in reading. Take him to his favorite restaurant; get him a copy of his favorite toy or video game for finishing a book, and you can gradually build a love of reading in your child.
3) A great many movies being made these days are based on books, especially children's books such as the Harry Potter series, and the Narnia series. These movies are incredibly popular among kids. But before you take your child to see one of these book based movies, have them read the book. Make this a pre-condition - he reads the book first and only then does he get to see the movie. The best thing about this technique is that your child will enjoy watching the movie a lot more after reading the book.
Also read: Helene Goldnadel on Reading To Your Toddler
