10 Reasons Your Child Won’t Read for Fun

Like many well-intentioned parents, you provide ample opportunities for your child to read, supplying them with books from the library or on their own bookshelves… But why hasn’t your vision of a voracious reader—one who defies the rules of bedtime to enjoy one last story with a flashlight under the covers—come to fruition? Truth be told, it’s hard to know for sure. But we’ve put together a list of the top 10 reasons your child may not read for fun yet, as well as solutions to try to rectify each potential issue. With the right nudge and some minor adjustments or a customized intervention, you may be able to change the trajectory of your child’s path to help them develop a love of reading that will stay with them for life!  

Read More: Age-Related Reading Milestones >>

#1: Reading feels overwhelming.

There are lots of reasons that reading can feel overwhelming to kids—and teens!—including some you may not even be aware of. For example, some kids may feel anxious because they were teased in school for reading slowly, mispronouncing words, or not being able to answer questions about what they read. Simply thinking about past mistakes can heighten reading anxiety.

What to try: Read aloud with your child to help expose them to new vocabulary and the correct pronunciation, then talk about the key points of the text to help them better understand what you just read together. Encourage them to take a turn reading aloud and always use positive reinforcement to praise effort over success.

#2: There are too many electronic distractions.

It’s understandable that the other flashy gadgets in their space might offer more temptation than old-fashioned books. With video games, tablets, smartphones, and other electronic toys, kids can get swept away in the newness and novelty of the sounds, lights, and multiple choices for entertainment. 

What to try: Consider enforcing a limit to digital play, either in terms of hours per day or with an after-dinner cut-off. Don’t force them to read, but offer it as one of the many non-electronic activities from which they can choose.

#3: There’s no ideal reading space.

Other than the option to read in bed, which may be too scary for younger kids or too dark to read comfortably, some children don’t feel as though they have an enticing space to cozy up with a book.

What to try: Create a dedicated reading space, whether it’s simply a pile of soft pillows near a window with natural light or a cozy recliner in a home office where you can provide company to your child while you work.

#4: The format doesn’t interest them. 

Sometimes kids dislike the format of certain books because they lack engaging illustrations, find the text too dense, or the font too small. This is especially true for younger children who prefer the interactive elements of books with touch-and-feel features, pop-ups, fold-out flaps, larger print, or enticing pictures.

What to try: Experiment with a few different formats, including bigger fonts, frequent and colorful illustrations, or text that is broken up with pull-out boxes that contain interesting points, lists, or questions. 

#5: The topic is boring. 

Just because kids like bulldozers or giraffes doesn’t mean they want to read a litany of facts about them. While it’s important to seek out topics of interest to your child, consider that some books can feel dry, like something they’d need to read for a book report.

What to try: Take your child with you to the library and let them pick out their own books based on topics of interest and a quick skim inside. Bring home a stack and see which types of books they gravitate towards!

#6: The book is too easy for them.

It might seem contrarian to avoid books that are simple and easy for your child to read, but books that are too simple may not provide enough of a challenge to your young reader. In addition, many kids can easily memorize familiar books, which does little to boost their reading skills.

What to try: Librarians are masters of helping kids choose books! Spend a few minutes explaining what books you have at home and why they’re too simple, and they can help your child pick out something that aligns with their interests and abilities.

#7: The book is too hard for them.

Just as books can be too easy for your child, they can also be too difficult, leading them to lose interest quickly.  Parents can use a book’s Lexile level to find reading materials that are appropriately challenging for their child’s current reading ability. 

What to try: Get your child’s reading score from their teacher, go to this Lexile site and click on “find a book.”

#8: They don’t see the value of reading. 

Sometimes kids simply don’t understand the many ways that reading can be fun—or beneficial in their lives. If they don’t know the joy of getting lost in the magic of a story or learning something new about a favorite topic, it may feel like reading is just too much work with no benefit.

What to try: Talk to your child about things they enjoy and ask what they’d like to learn more about. If they have a particular fondness for a profession—such as an astronaut, musician, teacher, or veterinarian—highlight the many ways that reading plays a role in both education and training.

#9: They don’t have any reading role models.

Kids who see their parents read a lot—and enjoy it!—are more likely to emulate the behavior. After all, you can’t expect your child to want to sit down with a stack of books when Dad is playing video games, Mom is on her phone, and an older sibling is on their tablet. 

What to try: Designate tech-free reading time for the family. It can be the hour before your child’s bedtime, a 30 minutes midday quiet time, or a larger window of time on a particular day (or two) of the week. 

#10: They’re struggling with reading or comprehension skills.

Sometimes young readers need help improving the fundamental skills needed for reading and comprehension. Beyond simple memorization, reading requires strong cognitive skills, including things like attention, visual processing, and auditory processing—the latter of which enables us to analyze, blend, and segment sounds. In fact, one or more weak cognitive skills are the root cause of most learning struggles.

What to try: Consider enrolling your child in cognitive skills training. Also known as personal brain training, these intensive, individualized programs start with a Cognitive Skills Assessment to determine which brain skills are strong and which could use a boost. Then, a personal brain trainer will use a series of games, drills, and activities designed to strengthen your child’s learning and thinking skills. Studies have found that brain training has improved overall cognitive performance in kids and adults, as well as boosting reading skills!