Do you anticipate that all too familiar “sigh” when you mention anything reading to your child? Do you find yourself wishing he or she could experience the joy of getting lost in the story, instead of worrying whether they can pronounce a word or tell you what the main idea is?

For emerging, average and struggling readers alike, here are a few tips to inspire a love for reading…

1. Put your Mask On First!  Let your kids see you enjoying a book or two.  Let’s remember that in spite of what they may say to the contrary, your kids watch you and want to be inspired by you.  Go to bookstores as if you were going out for ice cream – make it an event!  Don’t just ask them to pick a book, take them to help you pick yours. Joy is contagious, so let them see you excited about the tales you’re reading.

2. You Pick, I Pick!  Just like you, your little ones have preferences, so let them pick what they want to read. Of course, you can steer them away from or towards literature that has a certain bent. But, unless it’s offensive in some way, let them decide. If it’s too simple or a bit too hard, that’s okay. Either let them read it themselves or offer to help them out.  Keep the goal in mind: enjoying the process.

3. Act it Out!  There’s nothing like role-play.  Get into the story by dressing up, creating props, making sock puppets, etc.  Toy stores and video games use this philosophy to generate millions of dollars in sales just to get kids to pretend to be part of a story. Get silly with them and play it out!

4. Get Crafty!  If your kids aren’t the theatrical types, you can use books to inspire home movies, cartoon strips, Play-Doh® or Minecraft® worlds, and so, so much more.  Go online and see what you can find to guide the activity. Your imagination’s the limit!

5.  Scavengers?  That’s right. Use the book for a scavenger hunt! You can have your child hunt for clues in the book itself, or create a hunt based on the book.  Imagine looking for “Wild Things,” a “Mocking Jay,” or “the Wardrobe.”  Now that’s reading fun!

As kids internalize the fact that reading isn’t a task, but a part of life that can be helpful, entertaining and even inspirational, you won’t need to try so hard.  Seemingly out of the blue, they’ll ask you to turn off the T.V. to let them read!