I would love to be *your* StoryMaker aka Book Lady! While I love to keep my customers up to date with new releases, giveaways and deals, I also LOVE providing helpful tips to make your life easier. I consider it my job to help you figure out ways to get those readers reading!

Many of my customers and friends often ask me: “How can I get my child to read more?”

Well first things first, I will tell you that even in our house – the book lady house – reading isn’t always top-of-mind or the favorite thing for our children. We have two children still at home and they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Our 15 year old has struggled with reading so getting him to read has resulted in fighting, frustration and no fun for anyone involved. While our 8 year old has always been a strong reader, sometimes she just flat out doesn’t want to read. So here are a few things we do, for both kids, to encourage more reading:

1. Have books accessible – Just having books throughout the house has helped. The old saying “out of sight, out of mind” goes for reading too. If the books aren’t in front of them, they might not remember to read. So have a stack in their room, the living room, the bathroom, the hall way – wherever it makes sense in your house.
2. Have books that interest them – Ok confession time here. I didn’t read all of the assigned books I was supposed to read in school Some of them were just absolutely not interesting to me at all. But some of them are still my all-time favorites: 1984, Animal Farm, The Little Prince, Lord of the Flies… But you know that you most likely aren’t going to pick up a book about something you aren’t interested, neither are they.
3. Reading doesn’t have to be from a book – Yes, we want and the need to read books, but sometimes it’s easier for kids to read in different formats. Or maybe it wouldn’t seem like reading if its in a different format. So here are a few examples:
   1. • Cooking or Baking – Reading a recipe
      • Putting something together – Reading directions
      • Leaving notes around the house for them
      • Looking up the answer to a question they ask
      • Finding a maganize that inteests them
      • Having poems, or even writing a poem!
      • Playing board/card games
      • Dare I say it – Yes, even graphic novels are ok!
4. Children do what they see – Be a role model. I get it, we are tired at the end of the day. But when your kids see you read, they will eventually model that behavior too!
5. Read aloud with your children, especially when they can follow along with the story. They are still seeing the words, hearing the words and if you are reading, maybe they have the time to look at the pictures in the book to really understand the story.

The real answer is to do what works for your family. Just get them reading!

Check out this NY Times article on How to Raise a Reader for more great tips: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/books/how-to-raise-a-reader

I’d love your feedback, too. What works for you? What is your favorite tip?