These things make reading a pleasure, not a chore:

• Set aside a family reading time—30 minutes or an hour every day that everyone shares.

• Help your child find books about characters whose age, feelings, interests, and experiences are similar to her own.

• Introduce your child to stories about out-of-the-ordinary experiences—like mysteries, science fiction, and ghost stories.

• Take turns reading aloud. Even older kids like to show parents their reading skills and hear parents read from books they can’t read on their own yet.

• Make reading fun. A playful, affectionate attitude toward reading time works a lot better in the long run than forcing kids to read “because it’s good for you.”

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