Revamp Your Family’s Fall Reading Routine with These Tips

 

I love fall. Nothing beats the bliss of biting into a juicy apple, stomping through crunchy leaves, and sipping hot cider. A good book is the perfect fall companion, whether I’m soaking up the gentle warmth of a low-hanging sun while perched on a park bench, surrounded by trees in all their autumn glory, or tucked into the cozy corner of my couch, mug in hand. 

Fall is the season of fresh starts. With schools abuzz with back-to-school energy and teachers assessing their students to see what reading growth they made over the summer, this is the perfect time to dive into a new book and either introduce or revamp a culture of reading in your family.

Got reluctant readers, too many reading levels to keep track of, some kids who need quiet and others who read as if they are shouting, and barely enough time in the day to get dinner on the table? Overcome these challenges with a little determination and a few tried-and-true tips.

The Early Years

Keep it positive – From infancy, train your kids to have positive associations with reading by making it a fun, snuggly, peaceful, together time. Switch your mentality from “have to read” to “get to read.” Model this by happily keeping your own reading near the top of your priority list. Frame visits to school book fairs, bookstores, and libraries as special treats. Give books as birthday and Christmas presents.

Drop everything and read – Establish a D.E.A.R. time routine early on, where all family members stop what they are doing, grab a book/magazine/newspaper, and simply enjoy. For time windows, consider evenings after dinner, upon arriving home before the dinner/bath/bedtime push, or Saturday mornings before the day gets busy with outings.

Look at books – Even young children can “read” independently by turning pages and telling a story based on the pictures. It’s especially helpful for younger siblings to master this skill so parents can attend to new readers and older kids can read in peace.

Curate great content – Introduce stories you enjoyed growing up by reading them aloud as a family. Read-alouds are an ideal entryway into classics that would be too daunting for younger kids to read on their own. Older kids can summarize sections for the little ones before moving along to make sure everyone comprehends the story. Try The Tale of Despereaux, James and the Giant Peach, The Borrowers, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.

Need a Motivation Boost?

Make it urgent – Set a reading timer for a manageable 20 minutes. Once they get going, they might never want to stop! Ready, set, read!

Feed the piggy bank – Pay your child a dollar for each book they complete and are able to discuss with you. Or, pay a penny per page or another amount that motivates your reluctant reading without breaking the bank.

Break out the popcorn – Celebrate finishing a book by watching the movie version together and seeing what differences you can catch.

Foster friendly competition – When played right, sibling rivalry can motivate kids to “keep up” with the reading habits or pace of their brothers and sisters. Classmates may choose to pick up a series so they can find out what’s happening next in the story before the rest of their friends–or at least so they can meet the characters everyone is chatting about. School readathons embrace this fun competition and boost everyone’s reading stamina.

Stuck in a Rut?

Mix up the method – Try a reading format other than your default (parent reads to child, child reads to parent/sibling/pet/doll/action figure/stuffed animal, child reads to grandparents on a video call, child reads independently, family listens to audiobooks in the car, parent and child switch off reading pages, parent pauses their reading for child to chime in when they come to a sight word).

Mix up the setting – Let your child experiment with various reading settings (on a park bench, in bed, on the bus, in a cardboard box fort, at the library, on the couch, at the kitchen table while you prepare dinner, on the floor, with/without Post-its to jot down thoughts about the story, on a pillow throne).

Mix up the material – If your at-home book collection blends into the background and gets ignored, spice up the selection with a new batch of library books each week. Pack away a box of books for a few months; when you unearth it, the titles will seem either beloved and fresh (keep those!) or tired and juvenile (give those away). Use the occasion to refresh your bookshelves, transitioning from board books to picture books to early readers to chapter books.

Play the Long Game

Pick engaging reading material – No one wants to trudge their way through a boring book. Let kids choose topics, genres, and formats that interest them. (Graphic novels for the win!) Ask friends for book recommendations and consider whether they are a good match for your child’s interests and reading level. Encourage your kids to ask around too. What authors are their friends loving? Check the backs of books they enjoy to find others written by the same author.

Get hooked on a series – Finding a great series is like hitting the reading jackpot. Try Owl Diaries, Rainbow Magic, Dragon Masters, Dog Man, Ivy + Bean, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Wings of Fire, Little House on the Prairie, The Boxcar Children, Magic Treehouse, Amulet, American Girl, A to Z Mysteries, The Baby-Sitters Club, Nancy Drew, Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Percy Jackson.

Pack a book – Bring something to read when you pack for a trip, a doctor’s appointment, or a wait in line. Stash a magazine in your park bag. Demonstrate how you don’t have to rely on a screen to fill down time.

Safeguard a sane bedtime – As your kids mature and beg for a later bedtime, don’t sacrifice your quiet evening hours. Protect that “me time” by keeping a consistent time when all kids must be physically in their beds with overhead lights out. Those who need more sleep can drift off right away. Others who want to stay up later may read with a book light until they tire.

Find reading buddies – Use peer pressure for good. Befriend families who love to read. Before you know it, the moms will form book clubs, the dads will organize library outings, and the kids will trade books left and right. Imagine this: peaceful sleepovers, everyone tucked into their sleeping bags and stories until nodding off to sleep.

Get caught reading – After saying prayers and kissing your kids goodnight, wind down from your day by spending a chunk of time reading. When kids inevitably pop out of bed to use the bathroom, ask for water, or share some pressing memory from their day, let them see you engrossed in a book. They’ll pick up on how reading is a pleasant way to wrap up the day.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to crack open a new novel.