Reading Isn’t Fun for Everyone

Parents want their kids to like reading, but they are going about it the wrong way. I have never been an avid reader, but I am getting better. I always thought reading was a punishment or a job I had to get done. My parents used to tell me that I could watch TV for the same amount of time I read each day. They didn’t force me to read, but I knew there was going to be gold at the end of the rainbow, so I kept reading more every day until I began to like reading. This system worked for a while, but it was not perfect.

Many people say, “The smartest people in the world read.” That isn’t entirely true. It is a special skill, but one’s potential to read is not always fully realized. I have never been over the moon about reading, but I have always been jealous when people talk about how excited they are about a good book. I thought I wouldn’t be able to find a book I would love. According to KQED.org, “If you’re thinking of rewarding a child to read, that is surely a child who has not been reading recently, and whose attitude toward reading is pretty set.”

Kids are so often forced to read as a punishment, yet adults still assign us books and expect us to be excited about it. Reading should be seen as a relaxing activity and a way to enjoy some time to yourself. Those who feel trapped by reading find it hard to enjoy it like we’re supposed to. According to colorincolorado.org, “It’s easy to find yourself lugging home a stack of library books that your kids will love to listen to. It’s harder to make sure you’re bringing home a wide variety of books.” If you know that a kid does not like reading, encourage them to read genres that they will enjoy. They should express themselves in what they read. Enjoying it is much different than spending a lot of time on it. You can read for hours, but to really read you have to enjoy it. You can spend hours reading a book that you cannot connect with.

“You do not have to be reading for long periods at a time, but you can just read as little as 5 to 10 minutes at night,” said Middle School Librarian Monica Rose.

I am not forcing anybody to do anything or disobey their parents when they tell them to read, but kids like to read better when they feel free with the choices of books they can read and how much time they read. Reading is different for everyone, but try out new ways that reading will work for you.