Why do Kids Hate Reading?

Many parents find it hard to get their children to read, and a common complaint is, “My child hates reading”. There can be many reasons a kid hates reading, and we will look more closely at some of them in this article. Some of the most common reasons include not having books in the house, seeing reading as a chore rather than a leisure activity and being forced to try to read at a level beyond their abilities.

No Culture of Reading in Their Family

According to this Statista study, almost half of all US adults didn’t read a single book in 2023, and the average reading level in the US is equivalent to that of a sixth grader.

Children are very much shaped by their upbringing. In households where adults in the family read books, it is more likely to be seen as a regular leisure activity. Behaviors learned in the early years at home shape how people see the world for the rest of their lives and can shape their leisure habits for decades.

If reading is only ever presented as something they are compelled to do in academic settings like school, it makes sense that it wouldn’t seem like something they could choose to do when they wanted to relax. 

This is a problem to the extent that, according to a 2023 survey by YouGov, almost 30% of Americans own under ten books. Of this number, nearly a third own no books at all. This can have an impact on how much the parents read, and how much the children do as well.  

Homes in the US vs Book Numbers

Source: YouGov Survey of 23,000 US adults, 2023

When there isn’t a strong culture of reading in the family, the adults can sometimes inadvertently pass on their own feelings and biases about not really enjoying reading. Kids often parrot what they hear at home, and this can lead adults to conclude that their kid hates reading, when they perhaps haven’t really given it a chance yet.

Too Many Distractions at Home

It can be hard to persuade children to sit quietly and read a book when there are so many louder and more immediate things that can catch their attention. It is often argued that children these days have much shorter attention spans than previous generations, and this can be a problem when it comes to reading. 

Siblings may want them to play video games with them, or parents may want to watch football with them on TV. It can be hard to carve out the time and the headspace to read a book in some environments.

Being Forced to Read Challenging Material

Another reason why a child may not enjoy reading is that they have been forced to try to read material that is beyond their reading comprehension level. This can make reading feel like a chore and a struggle as they try to cope with unfamiliar words.

If they are allowed to read at their own level and improve at a pace that works best for them, it can help to avoid difficult situations. Allowing kids to choose to read the books that they are comfortable with, especially when they are younger, can really help them build their confidence and start to enjoy reading. 

Not Enough Choice in Class

Sometimes, part of the problem can be a lack of choice of books, so nothing catches their interest. Adults can be prone to think that children don’t like reading, but it is just that they haven’t been given something to read that interests them. 

Try to ensure that children have as wide a range of books on offer as possible so they can find one that speaks to them. Reading is such an individual hobby, and just because they don’t like a particular genre doesn’t mean they won’t eventually find a series or author whose writing they enjoy enough to persevere with. 

How to Help Children Who Dislike Reading

There are many things we can do to assist children who haven’t yet discovered the joy of reading. One of the most effective ways for children in younger age groups to start enjoying reading is having a teacher or parent read to children while they follow along with it. This can help them to understand new words and familiarise themselves with how they sound when said aloud. One of the worries some children have when they are reading aloud is that they will come across a word they don’t yet know and say it incorrectly. This is why it helps for an adult to read aloud with them before they ever have to read it aloud in front of other people. 

A good way to help older children enjoy reading more is to read the same book as them and discuss it with them. It can be fun and engaging to be able to be excited about the characters and the plot lines together, just like when you watch the same shows on TV together. Helping children access their local library, whether in person or digitally, can also help broaden the range of books available to them. This can increase the chances that they will find something they will enjoy and manage to get into. Try not to be critical if they are into comic books or graphic novels. Encourage their interest instead, as this is a great gateway into the world of literature, and many modern graphic novels have fairly complex plots and language.

Another way to help older children enjoy reading more is to use ReadPartner for some of the more mundane texts they need to read. ReadPartner AI summarizes and analyzes texts so that they can be presented concisely and understood more easily. Users are also able to chat with ReadPartner about the summary. It means that children don’t get as burnt out from being forced to read so many things. ReadPartner can also help both children who hate reading and adults who struggle with it to succeed academically and professionally. ReadPartner can be a great way to take the strain out of everyday reading tasks so that children don’t lose the enjoyment in their leisure reading.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why kids can believe that reading isn’t the best activity for them. These can range from not having access to many books at home to being forced to read books that are beyond their abilities. There may just be a poor selection of books available at school that don’t cater to their needs or interests.

The good news is that there are ways that we can help, including encouraging them to get a  membership at their local library, reading the same books together with them and discussing them, and using services such as ReadPartner to lighten their load by reducing the reading they have to do. This allows the children to focus their attention on the reading that actually interests them.

Encouraging reading of all kinds, whether that is via traditional books, ebooks or graphic novels and comics, is essential. Each has differing merits, but all are gateways into reading for children and can help them discover the fun world of reading literature. 

Sources:

YouGov Survey: https://today.yougov.com/society/articles/47712-how-many-books-americans-own-and-how-they-organize-them

Statista: https://www.statista.com/chart/32988/share-of-respondents-who-read-or-listened-to-books