ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO READ
There are thousands of other things a child can read besides books.
*If you are a teacher, this list would be a wonderful resource to share with parents of students in your classroom.*
Sometimes as a teacher or parent, getting a child interested in reading is such a challenge.
You recommend books that Pinterest swore your kid would love, books that you enjoyed as a child, and the best sellers you see everywhere, but they just aren’t interested.
But I want to remind you that there are other types of reading material for kids besides fictional chapter books.
There are THOUSANDS of other things a child can read besides a chapter book.
READING IS READING
Think about the things you read each day (like this blog post for example).
You may read a novel sometimes, but I bet 99% of what you read throughout the day does not include that novel.
So I have brainstormed a list of 25 things a child can read that aren’t novels.
And remember, reading is reading- Each of these things will help your child grow as a reader, just as much as a novel.
Let’s jump right in!
1. RECIPES
This recipe book is a MUST HAVE for kids. The recipes are amazing, it’s simple to follow, and the pictures are fantastic.
You can print a recipe, go online and search, or you can purchase a cookbook just for kids.
If you are a teacher, encourage parents to pick a night during the week to cook with their child. The child can lead by reading the recipe and working together to cook the family dinner.
2. EMAILS FROM FAMILY
Set up an email address (monitored by you of course) for your child, and ask a family member to send emails to your child.
They will love getting their own “email” and writing back to them.
Plus, this is a real world skill that they will eventually need to learn, so why not give them a head start?
3. JOKES
What child doesn’t love jokes? This joke book is hilarious. Perfect gift for any child.
There are so many places online that you can find jokes for kids to read, or you can order them their own joke book.
My third graders BEGGED for my joke book and would read off jokes to their friends during recess. So fun!
4. MAGAZINES
I still love to read old fashioned magazines- straight off the shelf at the grocery store. I love that I can skip around and read the parts that I’m interested in.
There are SO many magazine subscriptions for kids- from sports magazines, to fashion magazines, animal magazines, and science magazines.
5. MANUALS FOR “HOW THINGS WORK”
Does your child love watching youtube?
When I was in the classroom, so many of my third graders would tell me interesting facts about how things worked. I was amazed. Many of them said they learned on youtube!
Why not give them more ways to learn about how things work?
Here is one example of a guide to how things work, but you can always google or go to Amazon and search for “how things work books for kids” and find one that works best for your kiddo.
6. KARAOKE
Yep, it’s still reading (as long as you have the words on a screen for them to sing along to).
Another perk is that it typically highlights the words for them, so that is always a great tool for readers.
7. CEREAL BOXES
I totally forgot that the back of cereal boxes are LOADED with information for kids- and typically very interesting.
Use it to your advantage and let them read the back. So much fun!
8. KIDS “NEWS”
News websites for kids are typically so much fun. They aren’t filled with the depressing stories, either. (typically- make sure to review the website before you let your child start reading)
Honestly, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to switch to Kids News stories. Most often they have interesting current events about animals around the world, kid inventors, weather stories, and “wacky” news.
One resource you can look into is News-O-Matic.
9. FUNNY POEMS
Poems don’t have to be boring.
Anything by Shel Silverstein is typically hilarious. Where the Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up are two pretty thick books. But, each page is a different poem and they are extremely short (and funny).
Bonus- if your child struggles with chapter books, they will love the feeling of carrying this “thick” book- and they will have confidence in reading it.
Fun fact- One of the best ways to help your child with reading fluency (how to not sound like a robot) is to have them read poems aloud.
10. CROSSWORD PUZZLES AND WORD SEARCHES
What’s better than having a child search through a sea of letters to find the letters that makeup the word they are looking for? This crossword puzzle book is WONDERFUL for road trips and after school fun!
11. Vacation Guides
If you’re going on a vacation, let your child explore websites that get them excited about where you are going. You would be amazed at how much is geared towards kids.
For example, if you’re taking a trip to Walt Disney World, go to their website and let your child explore. They will love it!
12. BIOGRAPHIES
Does your child have an idol, or someone they love to watch on tv? Steph Curry? Jojo Siwa?
Purchase a book like this one, and watch their excitement as they flip through.
If a kid is interested in what they are reading, they won’t want to stop.
13. CLOSED CAPTIONS ON TV
I saw this hack on a meme once, and although I know it was a joke, it made me think about how helpful this could be. When your kiddo is watching tv, turn the closed captions on.
Bonus points if you turn the volume off!
14. SCAVENGER HUNTS
Go online and print out some scavenger hunt clues (or write them on paper). Have your child go through the entire scavenger hunt by reading the cards independently.
What kid (or adult) doesn’t get excited to go on a scavenger hunt?
15. LETTERS FROM FAMILY
Similar to the email from family, there is just something special about receiving physical mail addressed to you.
And, they will be able to practice writing when they respond back.
16. PLAY SCRIPTS (TO PERFORM)
These are WONDERFUL for struggling readers to practice their expression.
Have a family performance night and find a reader’s theater to perform.
Assign characters, practice the roles (aka read their lines OVER AND OVER AND OVER) and record the family performance! (or have your kids perform for you)
Reading A-Z has tons of reader’s theater scripts that you can print. They offer a 14 day free trial!
17. ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR KIDS
The fun with encyclopedias like this particular one, is that kids can flip through in any order to learn about specific things they are interested in.
Bonus- helps them with learning to use text features, which is major in upper elementary (third grade and up).
18. “HOW TO DRAW” BOOKS
Great for the artist kiddos, this step by step drawing book also helps with direction following.
They will feel accomplished that they read the steps AND have a masterpiece to show for it.
19. DINNER MENU
Instead of choosing what your child will order at a restaurant, use it as an opportunity to have them look at the menu, read the description, and decide for themselves what they want to order.
20. WEBSITES FOR KIDS
Some that I found to get you started are Kids Scoop, National Geographic Kids, and Dogo News!
21. MAPS
Before you leave for a family outing, check to see if the location has a map.
Download it beforehand and have your kiddo explore it to see what there is to offer!
22. DIRECTIONS FOR BOARD GAMES
Do you ever have family game nights?
Does everyone always have different rules that they “swear are the correct ones”- Before you begin, designate your child as the rule master and have them read the rules to the game.
23. SPORTS FACTS
Similar to encyclopedias for kids, if a child enjoys sports, they will spend HOURS flipping through these sports facts books.
Filled with crazy records and information about their favorite sports and athletes, they won’t be able to put it down.
You can also find this type of information online- I just find that having a physical book is much more appealing to kids. It’s thick, the illustrations are amazing, and much easier to navigate.
24. TOY CATALOGS
This speaks for itself. Typically broken down by age, they will get practice with using the table of contents and reading about the features of each toy. Hello Black Friday.
25. BRAIN TEASERS
Logic puzzles, riddles and brain teasers are great for road trips and boredom busters. Kids will spend hours trying to solve the puzzles.
