There are many fun and creative ways to encourage older children to read. Reading is an important skill in many different ways. This is considered to be an active mental process which means that as a child engages in the process, the brain actually becomes “smarter”. In addition to this, it helps to increase the vocabulary of the child, which means that they will be able to communicate more effectively throughout their lifetime. There are many other mental processes that are improved when a child reads. These include concentration, focus, memory, and creativity. Reading also assists in building the self-esteem of the child. As parents, we know the importance of reading to our children, but as a child ages, it is important to learn fun and creative ways to encourage them to read to us. In this guide, you will learn some strategies on how to do that.
Bedtime Stories
One of the strategies that can be used in order to encourage older children to read is to have them read bedtime stories to you. It is quite likely that since your child was very young, you have sat down each night when you put them to bed and read to them. As they get a little older and develop their own skills in reading, you should encourage them to read to you! As your child reads to you, encourage them to read with reflection. It is also important that you ask them questions about the pictures and/or concepts covered in the story periodically. This will not only assist in improving their reading, but they will concentrate more and be able to effectively summarize the information that they are reading.
Acting
Believe it or not, even older children enjoy using their imagination. One of the most creative ways that you can encourage your children to read is to get them to physically act out the story that they are reading to you. You may allow them to read directly from the book, or you could encourage them to read the story and then create their own script for it. You can encourage them to use props, stuffed animals, and other things around the house in order to bring the story alive. Children of all ages will enjoy acting out stories to their parents and even their siblings.
Pull Out the Puppets
Remember those puppets that you used to entertain your child when they were younger? Pull them out. Have your child read you a couple of their favorite stories. Once they have done this, tell them the story that you enjoyed the most. Then, have them recreate the story using some of the same lines from the book and use puppets to act out the lines. Everyone loves a puppet show – regardless of how old they are. Inform your child that they are the “Producing Director” of their very own show and that the puppets are the actors that they have to train to tell the story as closely as possible to the real story. Then, allow them to have a “stage” somewhere in the home. This will not only help in reading, but also comprehension, identifying dialogue, and several other aspects such as vocabulary extension and concentration.
News Reporting
The next fun and creative way to encourage older children to read to you is to enlist them with the job of a news reporter. Have them take the daily newspaper, and read various articles out of it. Be sure to have them move around through the paper. For example, have them read the main story on the front page, then have them move to the sports section and read a little for there, and you may even encourage them to go to the classified section – read an advertisement and then try to “sell” you something. The classifieds could be the “commercials” of the news broadcasting station. Children will improve their vocabulary, increase their creativity, expand their knowledge of current events, and will actually start to look forward to reading the newspaper to you!
Summary:
As you can see from the information contained here, there are many creative ways that you can encourage an older child to read to you and actually enjoy it. Reading is a lifelong process and necessary skill. Even if your children get to the point where they no longer want to be read to by you, encouraging them to read to you is essential. Try some of the ideas mentioned in this guide in order to reach success.
How can I get my older child interested in reading?
Try making reading interactive rather than solitary. Have your older child read bedtime stories to you, switching the roles from when they were young. As they read aloud, ask questions about the story and encourage them to reflect on what happened — this builds both comprehension and genuine engagement with books.
What are some creative ways to encourage older kids to read?
Beyond sitting with a book, you can have your child act out the story they’ve just read, using props and stuffed animals to bring the characters to life. Another fun approach is a puppet show — have them re-read a favorite story and then perform it with puppets, serving as the producing director of their very own show. These activities make reading feel like play while building comprehension, vocabulary, and creativity.
How does playing ‘news reporter’ help kids with reading?
Giving your child the role of news reporter — working through the front page, sports section, and classifieds of a real newspaper — sharpens vocabulary and reading fluency across very different writing styles. When the classifieds become their ‘commercials,’ they’re not just reading; they’re thinking, persuading, and engaging. Kids who try this naturally start looking forward to it.
Why is it important to keep encouraging older children to read, not just young ones?
Reading is an active mental process that builds the brain at every age. For older children especially, regular reading continues to expand vocabulary, strengthen concentration, sharpen memory, and spark creativity. It also supports self-esteem as they master more complex material and can discuss what they’ve read thoughtfully. The habit formed now carries into high school, college, and life.
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