How to Homeschool a Reluctant Reader

One of the scariest tasks new homeschoolers face is teaching their kids to read. What if we mess it up? What if one of our kids can read but hates to read? Many homeschoolers understand the value of raising readers, but our kids don’t always cooperate and make it easy to reach our homeschool goals! However, there are steps we can take to inspire our kids to love reading. Here are six steps you can take when faced with homeschooling a reluctant reader.

Read Aloud from a Wide Variety of Books

Reading aloud to our kids is incredibly powerful in helping our kids develop a love of reading. It introduces them to more complex stories and characters than they usually encounter in books of their reading level. It models the importance of books in the family. Reading aloud to our kids invites them into new places and time periods that they’ll be excited to explore through their own books. 

Our main read aloud times are during breakfast and our Morning Basket time. I read a chapter book aloud while they eat every morning. It started as a way to read to fidgety toddlers, but it’s now a deeply ingrained habit! Morning Basket is a time when we gather and share a wide variety of books and activities either related to what we’re studying or just simply subjects the kids find fascinating. Learn more about how we keep Morning Basket super easy, yet effective, and find some of our favorite books on my blog. 

Inspire Your Reluctant reader by Exploring Different Genres

The books you enjoyed as a kid may not be what your reluctant reader enjoys. They may not even be interested in the books your other kids enjoyed when they were first learning to read. Step into the world of a genre unfamiliar to you and select a handful of books to introduce to your kids. Many kids who can read but don’t want to read haven’t found the right books that will inspire them to read for enjoyment. Step outside what you know to explore something new with your reluctant reader!

Surround Them with a Huge Variety Books

Head to the library and max out those library cards! An ever changing selection of books at home will increase the chances that they’ll find books that they can’t put down. Choose books from many genres. Mix in fiction and non-fiction books on topics that interest them. Grab a selection of books that are “too easy” for them to read including picture books.

Let Them Choose Their Own Books

The process of teaching our kids to read includes assigning them the passages and books to read that come with whatever reading program we’re using. While these may be effective in teaching them to read, they may not be what your child wants to read. Transition from making reading a school subject to making it an activity they enjoy by allowing them to choose their own books. The process of learning to read doesn’t end when the reading lesson ends. Encourage them to continue reading with a stack of books they picked out themselves.

Allow Lower Reading Level Books

For many kids, reading has to become easy before it becomes enjoyable. Encourage reluctant readers by introducing them to books that are below their reading level. You don’t need to pay attention to any of the official reading levels that schools use. Just page through books at the library looking for the ones that look “too easy”.  Books with larger print, small text sections, and colorful pictures will help reluctant readers to not be overwhelmed by the task of reading.

Don’t Worry Too Much About Fluff or Twaddle

One of the worst things we can do in helping them find enjoyment in reading is dictating what they can read. Sure, we want our kids to read quality books and stay away from twaddle. We can certainly monitor the content of books, but it helps to loosen the reins a bit and allow our kids more freedom in choosing the books they want to read. I look at twaddle as the literary version of a candy bar. It’s not something we want to indulge in too often but a sugary treat is okay occasionally.

Raising lifelong readers is a goal many homeschoolers have as a top priority for their kids. We want our kids to find enjoyment and develop a love of learning and exploring through books. Sometimes we have kids who are reluctant readers, but we don’t have to give up and say that our kid isn’t a reader. With these tips, we can help our reluctant readers to one day devour a wide variety of books.