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Tips to get children reading

3 March 2025
Parenting & Family Life
Self-help article

Reading with a parent or caregiver has a positive impact on your child’s early development, school achievement and later life success. Findings from charity The Reading Agency show that reading as a family during childhood also positively impacts adult reading habits and wellbeing.

Adults who read with a family member as children were much more likely to view reading as an important part of their life, and to report that reading makes them feel better. They’re also five times more likely to say that reading helps them sleep better.

In this article, The Reading Agency shares its tips to help you get your child interested in reading.

1. Read everything and anything *

It doesn’t matter what children read as long as they’re enjoying it. Reading habits are formed through enjoyment. Encourage them to read chapter books, audiobooks, non-fiction, joke books, graphic novels and comics. Even if the books they choose aren’t to your personal taste, let them explore and find out what they like best.

For neurodivergent children, you may find books with short chapters help to increase confidence and maintain interest. You could also consider accessible dyslexia-friendly books that use off-white pages and larger font sizes. A child with sensory processing issues may enjoy listening to an audiobook in noise-cancelling headphones.

Libraries are a great way to get into reading. From borrowing books for free to attending activities, libraries can unlock a world of opportunity. It’s easy and free to join your local library, if you are not already a member. Find your library here.

2. Lead by example

Show your child that reading is enjoyable by doing it yourself. That doesn’t have to mean sitting down for hours with a literary classic. Perhaps you like reading magazines, online news websites, the local paper or finding inspiration in your favourite recipe books or travel guides.

3. Kids rule

Let your child choose what they’d like to read, and read it as well so you can talk about it together. There are some great children’s books out there which adults will enjoy too! Peer and sibling recommendation is also really important, so check out our Book Sorter to find books recommended by children. By visiting the local library together your child can try lots of different books for free and see what they like best.

4. Book talk

Children love to be asked what they think about books and it’s a great way to develop their confidence. Ask your child open questions about the story they’ve just read:

• What happened?
• What did they like/didn’t they like and why?
• Who was their favourite character and why?
• Is there anything they’d change?
• Would they like to read something similar or different next?

Maybe you could rewrite or draw the ending together. *

5. Be different *

Find unusual ways to read together and spark your children’s creativity. Perhaps read outside when the weather is nice or build a reading den behind the sofa. Make choosing their next book into a game by putting a mixture of titles into a hat and taking it in turns to choose. Perhaps you can let your children choose the next book you read too?

6. Don’t fight the screen

If your child loves screen time then perhaps try to incorporate that into your reading routine. Reading e-books can be a good way to encourage children who are reluctant to sit down with a paperback. Book to film adaptations are also great – why not read the book together as a family, then watch the film too (make it an event with popcorn!), and talk about how they were different.

7. Find your own time

Set a regular time for reading together, so it becomes part of your routine. Reading before bed can help settle children and help them get to sleep, but that might not suit your family. Find a time that works best for you.

8. Invite a guest star

Why not invite friends and family to make a guest appearance at story time as a surprise? This could either be online or in person. Children will be excited to share a book with grandparents, friends or a favourite aunt or cousin.

9. Be silly! *

When reading to children, try to put on funny voices and make funny faces, maybe even act out what’s going on in the story – get the kids involved too. They will really remember and be excited by the experience of reading.

10. Reward their reading *

The Summer Reading Challenge is a free holiday activity for children aged 4-11. It’s all about reading for fun, aiming to improve reading skills and confidence. The Challenge runs every year with a new theme and motivates around 700,000 children to keep reading over the summer holidays. Children can take part and collect free rewards for their reading either at their local library or online.

*these tips may be useful for neurodivergent readers

The Reading Agency (@readingagency) is a UK charity with a mission to empower everyone to read. Evidence shows that reading improves health and wellbeing, life chances and social connections. The Reading Agency champions access to the proven power of reading by providing activities for all ages. Working with public libraries, prisons, hospitals and other community settings, we reach over two million people a year.

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