Sneaky Ways to Get Your Child to Read

a mom and daughter enjoy a book with flashlights under a blanket fort

I think every homeschool mom has visions of children who love to read. Some people have those kids, and some have the opposite. There is a lot of advice out there about encouraging your child to read. Over the years of homeschooling, I’ve found some great ways to sneak in reading without them realizing it.

There are a number of reasons you might want to slip in some extra reading for your kiddo. Maybe they aren't doing enough recreational reading. Perhaps they have no interest in reading and it’s a struggle. Or maybe you just want to expose them to as much reading practice as possible.

If you have a child who needs reading practice, here are a few sneaky ways to get your child to read.

Turn on Subtitles

If your child loves tv and movies, turning on subtitles can result in a ton of reading. While this is a passive way of having them read, it exposes them to a ton of words. They'll see new vocabulary words, and have exposure to words above their grade level. Also, they can associate what they are seeing with what they are hearing. Since their eyes are already on the screen, make it educational.

Cook Together

Do you have a child who loves to cook or bake? Turn it into a reading lesson. Your child can help find a recipe they want to make and read all of the instructions. Although recipes aren't heavy on words, this kind of real-life reading gives them a practical example of how reading skills are used in everyday life. It also shows them the importance of understanding what they read. An added bonus is that you can count it as a home-ec class and possibly math in your homeschool portfolio

Sneaky Ways to Get Your Child to Read

Play Video Games

Many video games require reading; however, there are a few that are amazing for reading and spelling practice, for example Scribblenauts Unlimited and Scribblenauts Unmasked. In the games, all of the conversations have to be read, and the player types what they want their character to do. These games weren't designed to be educational, but they are great for sneaky reading practice.

Another way to use video games for reading is by letting your child look up instructions or walkthroughs. There is a ton of content online surrounding games like Minecraft and Roblox. Your child can learn about their favorite game and get reading practice at the same time.

Comic Books and Magazines

So often kids associate reading with books. They get overwhelmed by the pages and pages of words and don't want to sit down and read. Comic books and magazines are full of small articles and speech bubbles. They also have lots of pictures and other interesting graphics. These are super interesting to them and don't seem so daunting. If they love superheroes, they can spend time diving into Spider Man's adventures. While they're looking at the colorful comics, they won't even realize that they are reading.

Listen to Audiobooks

One way for children to hear reading fluency, and develop a love for stories in books is by hearing them. As parents, we can read aloud to them; however, another great way for them to dive into stories is through audiobooks. They can read along in the book while the audio plays. Or, they can read a chapter, then listen to a chapter. There are so many ways to use audiobooks to help your child love reading.

A Homeschool Advantage

One of the great perks of homeschooling is having the ability to make many everyday experiences educational. So, if you're struggling to get your child to read, try some of these super sneaky tactics. They will get extra reading practice without even knowing it.

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About the Author

Krista RomanoKrista is the homeschooling mom of 3 boys. After 13 years she has learned the value of chilling out, going with the flow and keeping homeschooling fun! She is the blogger behind Far From Normal where she hopes to encourage parents and homeschoolers, and inspire a life lived happily outside the box! 

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