Podcast Episode 180: How to Encourage a Child to Read (Even if Your Child Is Older and Hates Reading)

Apr 11, 2015 | Podcasts

In The Loop with Andy Andrews, hosted by David Loy

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question asking if the teen years are too late to get kids to start reading.

I am dealing with this every day with adults.

I was 23 when Jones found me under the pier and gave me biographies.
Nobody ever told me, “Let me tell you why you want to read this.”
We’ve all heard that experience is the best teacher, but I think somebody else’s experience is the best teacher. This is why reading biographies is so important.

While living under the pier, I went through periods of fear and periods of boredom.

Jones told me that the books weren’t biographies but rather tales of romance, mystery, and adventure.
I grew up hating history, but it’s a passion of mine now.
I believe that sometimes people do not think things through to their foundation; many have surface-level thoughts about what they do and don’t like.

It’s amazing to me how many people will say, “Well, I don’t like to read.”

You mean you’ve never read something that made you laugh out loud, or cry?
I’ll ask just a couple questions, and it turns out that there is something they’ve read, whether it’s a magazine, newspaper, etc., that deeply affected them somehow.
So what you’re telling me is that the other books you’ve picked up are boring!
Find something you like to read!
Whatever your interest is—whether you’re a teen or a retiree—many have probably written about it, and someone has probably written about it well.
Regardless of their age, find your children a book or article they’re interested in, and they’ll want to read it.

In the full episode, I reveal the trick I use to get my kids to read whatever I want them to read.

Questions for Listeners

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