How to Make Your Child Love Reading From an Early Age

What truly makes a child love reading?

A child loves reading when they connect books with joy, safety, and a satisfied curiosity. Reading interest grows from enjoyable experience, well away from the mood of commands. A child who is read to every night while being held stores warm memories of books, and those memories are what later draw them back to the shelf. PISA 2022 places Indonesian students' reading ability at 359, well below the OECD average. That number is often read as purely a matter of reading technique. A deeper root lies in interest: a child who rarely enjoys books will rarely practice, and infrequent practice makes ability grow slowly. Growing a child's reading interest is the earliest and gentlest way to break this cycle. The classic study by Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding (1988) found that among all of a child's out-of-school activities, time spent reading books was the best predictor of growth in reading ability. The more a child reads out of enjoyment, the richer their vocabulary and comprehension become. A parent's task lies in lighting that enjoyment, then keeping it alive.

Six steps to grow your child's reading interest at home

This order works because it builds the reading habit from the child's emotions first, then the routine. Apply it gradually and patiently. A love of reading takes shape over a few weeks, through small daily consistency.

1. 1

   Read aloud every single day

   Reading aloud is the foundation of a child's reading interest. It introduces the rhythm of language, expands vocabulary, and most importantly links books with a warm moment shared with a parent. Scholastic's report notes that 83 percent of children enjoy being read to, and children who are read to regularly are more likely to become active readers later on. Pick a fixed time, such as before bed, so the child's body learns to recognize reading as part of the day. Read with expression, change the characters' voices, and pause to ask, What do you think happens next. A session of ten to fifteen minutes already matters.

   Tips

   • Use different voices for each character so the story comes alive
   • Let the child turn the pages so they feel involved
   • Reread favorite books as often as the child asks, repetition builds a sense of safety
2. 2

   Give the child freedom to choose their own books

   A sense of ownership lights up interest. When a child chooses their own book, they read out of their own desire, and that desire is far stronger than obligation. Scholastic data shows 91 percent of children say their favorite books are the ones they picked themselves. Take the child to the library or bookstore, then let them explore the shelves by their own taste. Comics, books about dinosaurs, or picture books that look simple still hold value as long as the child enjoys them. Resist the urge to always steer them toward books you think are more educational. A child who enjoys reading anything will slowly widen their own taste over time.

3. 3

   Set up a cozy, easy-to-reach reading corner

   The physical environment helps shape the habit. Provide one small corner with cushions, enough light, and a bookshelf within the child's reach. When books are easy to grab and the spot feels comfortable, the child reaches for a book more often on their own initiative. The Evans study across 27 nations found that a book-filled home gives children an educational advantage of about 3.2 years on average, partly because books present every day nurture a reading culture. You do not need an expensive collection. Rotating library books, quality secondhand books, and loans from relatives are just as effective at creating a home at ease with reading.

   Tips

   • Spread a few books around the living room besides the bedroom
   • Display book covers facing outward to catch the child's attention
4. 4

   Be a role model, let the child see you reading

   Children imitate what they see every day. When a child sees their parent enjoying a book, newspaper, or magazine, they absorb the quiet message that reading is a grown-up activity that is enjoyable and valuable. Set aside a shared reading time, each holding their own material, in the same room. Tell the child about something interesting you just read with genuine enthusiasm. Modeling works far more strongly than advice. A home where adults read with pleasure raises children who view reading as a natural and joyful habit.

5. 5

   Follow the child's interests and curiosity

   Reading interest lights up fastest when the material connects to what the child currently loves. A child who loves cars will happily read books about vehicles, and a child who loves cooking will enjoy opening a simple recipe book. Observe what makes the child's eyes light up, then find books that answer their curiosity. This turns reading from a chore into a path to discovering what they love. Connect books with real experiences too, such as reading a story about the sea before visiting the beach, so books feel alive and close to their world.

6. 6

   Appreciate effort and habit, shield it from pressure

   How you respond decides whether reading interest lasts. Value the child's effort sincerely, for example by chatting warmly about the story or praising their persistence in finishing a book. Keep reading away from the atmosphere of exams and punishment. A child forced to read a set number of pages toward a target, or told to read as a form of punishment, will link books with a feeling of pressure. Give the child room to stop on a book they dislike and move to another title without guilt. Interest guarded gently grows into a habit that lasts a long time.

   Avoid using reading as punishment or a scare tactic. This ties books to discomfort and puts out the interest that is just beginning to grow.

Books that spark interest at each age stage

Growing reading interest compared with forcing reading targets

A reading-friendly home checklist

Questions about growing a child's reading interest