This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

One of my parenting goals is to give my kids a lifelong love of reading. From the time they were all babies, I have tried to make books a part of their daily life. I read to them multiple times a day, we go to the library regularly (when it's not closed due to Covid-19) and we have an entire reading nook filled with interesting kids books that they flip through themselves. I've heard Ian sitting in there "reading" books that he's memorized to Emmett and it totally warms my heart. Recently, I've started trying to give Ian some reading lessons. He's not even four yet, so I'm not expecting much...but I'm hopeful that starting early and making it fun will set him up to be a reader! Since I'm clearly not an expert, I've been doing some research (and I'd love to hear your tips too!). Here are some suggestions I've seen, to make reading lessons enjoyable and successful.

Incorporate Blended Learning Materials 

When teaching young children how to read, blended learning materials can do you a world of good. Unsurprisingly, many children become bored when dealing with large amounts of text. On the flipside, blended learning materials can help shake things up and keep even the most easily-bored kids entertained. As the name suggests, blended learning incorporates a variety of media types into reading lessons, thereby keeping children engaged and interested in the material. Certain blended learning materials also include gamification elements, which can make reading lessons feel more like leisure activity and less like work. 

Use Reading Materials That Interest Your Child 

One of the reasons young children find reading lessons unappealing is a lack of interest in certain reading material. And as any parent can attest, if a child finds something boring, he or she is likely to tune out. If your child has shown a distinct lack of interest in the material you’ve selected, start incorporating books that interest them into your lessons. As long as the material is well-suited to your child’s reading level, be open to using any books that they express an interest in. Make trips to your local library or bookstore part of your regular routine. While there, give your kids the freedom to choose books that appeal to their individual tastes. Even if their picks are heavy on illustrations or qualify as comic books, make sure to keep an open mind – provided, of course, the books are age-appropriate.    

Incentivize Progress 

When tasked with learning a new skill, most children’s first thought is “What’s in it for me?” Sure, learning how to read is its own reward, but young children don't exactly comprehend the ramifications of lackluster reading abilities. Many of them will need a little bit of incentive to commit themselves to improving their literacy. With this in mind, consider enacting a system that rewards your kids for any progress they make. For example, for every book they successfully finish, you could buy them a small gift, reward them with a tasty treat or take a trip to a favorite park or restaurant. 

Encourage Creativity  

If you have a child who prefers to take a hands-on approach to learning, why not incorporate some creativity into their reading lessons? Since reading and writing go hand-in-hand, parents could task their children with writing and illustrating their own stories to complement the ones they’re reading. Not only will this help them build solid writing skills, it will nurture individual creativity and make kids more amenable to expanding their intellectual horizons.

In the end, I think the most important thing for young kids is to have you involved. Have it be a special time, where they get to be with you, and get your full undivided attention. Be encouraging, let them go at their own pace, tell them you're proud of them, and try to keep it low-pressure and fun.

What advice would you add?

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