How to encourage reading without forcing it
Why mandatory reading often kills the love of reading, and the lighter approach that works long-term.
Devra Khoury
February 10, 2026
Quantity over quality
Comics, graphic novels, joke books, books about minecraft — they all count. Reading mileage matters more than reading 'good' books.
Once kids read willingly, the harder books happen on their own.
20 minutes, every day
Daily reading time, same window. Before bed is classic and works because it doubles as wind-down.
Non-negotiable but not punitive. 'It's reading time' the same way 'it's dinner time' is.
Read in front of them
Kids who see adults reading — even 10 minutes a day — develop reading as a normal life thing, not a school thing.
Phones don't count. Pick up a book, a magazine, the newspaper. Visible matters.
People also ask
Audiobooks count?+
Mostly yes for vocabulary and comprehension. Mix with text reading for decoding skills.
How long should they read at each age?+
K–2: 10–15 minutes. 3–5: 20–30 minutes. Middle school: 30+ if you can swing it.
What if they refuse?+
Read aloud to them (yes, even older kids). The reading habit comes back, often through stories you read together.