Helping Early Readers Fall in Love with Reading
Jan 28
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Lindsey Gerdes
We all want children to grow up loving books. But let’s be honest—early readers often encounter materials that are, well, less than thrilling.
Books like "The boat is red. The tree is green." are essential for teaching foundational skills such as 1:1 word correspondence, recognizing first letters, and using context clues. However, they’re not exactly page-turners.
Books like "The boat is red. The tree is green." are essential for teaching foundational skills such as 1:1 word correspondence, recognizing first letters, and using context clues. However, they’re not exactly page-turners.
So, how can we keep young learners excited about reading while they’re mastering these basics? Here are some tips and personal insights that can help.
1. Make Reading Fun with Creative Activities
Engagement is key. While early reading books are critical for skill-building, you can make them more exciting by involving your child in interactive activities. Here are some ideas:
Be patient. Not every child learns to read at the same pace. For example, I couldn’t read as a five-year-old and even flunked kindergarten. Diagnosed with ADHD, I struggled with traditional teaching methods. But once I was developmentally ready and had the support of a tutor, I took off—eventually earning a degree in English literature from Stanford University.
The key takeaway? Pushing a child too early can backfire, leading to reluctance instead of a love of reading.
Spot the Word: Choose a common word like "and" and challenge your child to find every instance on a page. This makes reading feel like a game and builds word recognition.
Blend Together: When you come across simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, let your child try blending the sounds. Celebrating their small victories builds confidence.
As you read aloud to them, remind your child that with practice, they too will be able to tackle bigger, more exciting books. Build anticipation and give them a vision of their future as an independent reader.
Many children first show interest in reading by trying to decipher words they see in their daily lives, like signs or labels. Encourage this! These organic moments often signal that a child is ready to take the next step in their reading journey.
Be patient. Not every child learns to read at the same pace. For example, I couldn’t read as a five-year-old and even flunked kindergarten. Diagnosed with ADHD, I struggled with traditional teaching methods. But once I was developmentally ready and had the support of a tutor, I took off—eventually earning a degree in English literature from Stanford University.
The key takeaway? Pushing a child too early can backfire, leading to reluctance instead of a love of reading.
2. Find Reading Materials That Truly Engage Your Child
This brings me to my second point. I have found it is far better to let your student read content that interests them than forcing them to read what is deemed "proper." At least, initially. Reading only what you, the parent, thinks is worthwhile, will often make them feel that reading is little more than a chore to get through. Learning *what* students enjoy reading and encouraging it will make reading seem like more of a treat than a task.
For instance, when I was a first-grade teacher, I had one student whose reading level absolutely soared from one assessment to the next. While I would have liked to credit my teaching, I knew there was something else going on. Sure enough, her mother told me that she was so interested in a joke book she won in class that she wouldn't stop until she could read and retell every joke in the book.
This goes for every age. Unfortunately, once a student believes they're "just not a reader", it's difficult to prove them wrong. For example, I worked with two bright and capable middle school students. When they were studying for a standardized test with difficult vocabulary, I began realizing their vocabularies were shockingly limited. I was puzzled until I realized that they didn't read at all " just for fun."
As avid fantasy football players, they should at least be reading sports updates and analysis, I told them. So reluctant were they to read though, they only watched videos (and it hurt their fantasy performances, by the way). To show them the importance of reading--and that there was content they would indeed enjoy--I had each student read a single ESPN article. They both encountered multiple words they didn't know; I assured them they would learn these words just through continuing to read these articles. After all, research shows that students can learn a word with as few as 10 exposures.
Cramming 10 vocabulary words weekly into a weekly curriculum, as is the case in many classrooms, may help somewhat in growing vocabularies, but reading is far more effective in truly making these words stick in a student's mind. When it comes to their children learning vocabulary, a parent can spend a lot less time with flashcards--and a lot less money hiring a tutor--if they just invest in a library card.
As a teenager, some of my favorite reading materials were the daily sports page in my hometown paper, Dear Abby, and People Magazine. If I'd been forced to only read certain books for a certain amount of time each day, I never would have viewed reading as a treat rather than a task. I loved novels as well, but if I'd been told that these other guilty pleasures were silly and unhelpful, I may have begun rebelling against the idea of reading entirely.
Many of my elementary students--particularly in grades 2-5--prefer reading graphic novels over more traditional books. While I encourage these graphic novels, I gradually try to steer students into doing some additional reading as well. What appeals to them about graphic novels? Perhaps I can use this to encourage them to read a more elevated "graphic" novel such as Hugo. Or if it's the comedy they love, maybe they would also enjoy a book series such as "Bunnicula" or "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing."
3. Show Students That You're Interested In What They Read
Some students, however, will still remain reluctant readers even if you do take this approach. There are still several steps you can take, including modeling behaviors that will encourage your child to read. If they see you sit down to read the paper every morning, maybe they will be encouraged to begin their own reading routines. I always ask students where and when they most enjoy reading; this makes it more likely that reading will become part of their daily routine.
Another tact in encouraging your student to read is showing your interest in any books or series they like as well. For instance, one former student who eventually grew into perhaps my most avid and insightful reader, was an extremely reluctant reader when we began working together. He only enjoyed the "Wings of Fire" series, so I said we could go back and forth between one "Wings of Fire" book and another of my choosing. The kicker though was that I read the "Wings of Fire" books as well. I could tell it was meaningful to him that an adult was taking such interest in his books (and full disclosure, I did actually enjoy them. Many YA books appeal to adults as well!)
Final Thoughts
Helping children develop a love for reading isn’t about rushing them to master skills. It’s about making reading enjoyable and showing them it’s a rewarding experience that matches their unique pace and interests.
If you’re looking for personalized advice and book recommendations tailored to your child’s needs, I’d love to help! Schedule a free literacy assessment with me, and together we can evaluate your child’s reading level and create an actionable plan to help them succeed.
As I always remind my students (and it applies to all of us):
Stay curious. Stay excited.
With love,
Ms. Lindsey

Get in touch
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3867 Roswell Rd. Suite 301 Atlanta, GA. 30305
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Lindsey@the360scholar.com
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917-693-8045
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