Motivation to Read: 10 Tips for Preschoolers

Start early! Reading with your babies and toddlers helps them connect books with love and comfort. Try board books, books with high contrast illustrations, and books with interesting textures.

Read it again. Young children enjoy anticipating what comes next. Use this to your child’s advantage. When stories contain predictable text or rhymes, your child may be able to finish the sentences. And when you read the same story repeatedly, he may be able to recite part of the story from memory.

Go “on location.” Reading becomes an adventure when you can connect a book to a real place. Reading about animals? Visit a farm or a zoo. Reading about frogs? Visit a pond. Too far for a visit? Find pictures online to help your child feel connected to what you’re reading about.

Let them wiggle! Some kids get uncomfortable when they have to sit still—they just want to go, go, go! But read-alouds are important for wigglers too, so let them wiggle! Coloring, kneading playdough, or building with LEGO bricks can keep hands busy while you read. Interactive books help, too!

Set an example. Show your child that you also read. Motivation to read is most effectively developed when it is modeled. Let your child see that reading is important, whether it’s reading a book for pleasure, reading to learn, or reading a recipe to make dinner!

Head to the library. Libraries are often filled with resources for children—summer reading programs, story times, craft classes, and of course, shelves and shelves of books! If you want to surround your child with books, there’s no better place than the library. Download our free library lists for great picture book ideas!

Build your own library. The more books you have at home, the more opportunities your child will have to pick one up and read. Don’t want to break the bank? Rummage sales, library book sales, resale shops, and bookstore clearance racks are great places to find affordable books.

Make books accessible. If you store books in a visible, easy-to-reach spot, it’s more likely your child will pick one up and start exploring it. Keep books on a low bookshelf or in a basket on the floor, or allow your child to choose her own special spot just for her books.

Bring stories to life. Capture your child’s attention and make reading fun by reading with expression. Try using different voices for different characters. Exaggerate the rhythm of the text. Let your face and your voice show what the characters are feeling.

Change it up! If you normally read in the same place each day, don’t hesitate to try out a new location from time to time. When the weather is nice, read on the front porch or a bench at the park. Create a reading nook to make story time extra special.