From Reluctant to Reader: Rethinking How We Motivate Kids to Read
How personal connections, curiosity, and everyday habits can turn even the most reluctant readers into lifelong learners.
Since starting my Substack—and especially after my recent note about my daughter’s summer reading—I’ve had several people reach out about reluctant readers and how to motivate them. First, let me say how humbling, exciting, and genuinely rewarding it is to know that people are reading my work and valuing my insight.
In this post, I want to look beyond the usual advice of “just let reluctant readers read comic books.” While that can help some kids, it’s often a quick fix—a bandage over a bigger issue. My goal is to start by defining (and possibly redefining) what a reluctant reader is, and then share strategies for making reading a meaningful, everyday habit.
Defining Reluctant vs. Struggling Readers
A reluctant reader is a child who can read but chooses not to. As Brennan Neville put it, they’re “someone who is perfectly capable of reading … but doesn’t want to read.” This is very different from a struggling reader, who faces real challenges with decoding, fluency, or comprehension—often due to learning differences or gaps in instruction (something I plan to explore in another post).
The distinction matters because reluctant and struggling readers require very different solutions. A reluctant reader has the skills, but they don’t see the value in reading. Our role is to help them connect reading to something that feels worth their time and attention.
Why Kids Become Reluctant Readers
One common reason is that they don’t feel the “juice is worth the squeeze.” Kids today have countless demands on their time—sports, social events, hobbies—and if reading doesn’t feel rewarding, they’ll simply choose something else.
In contrast, active readers feel a strong connection to the books they read. They see the benefits—new ideas, fresh perspectives, deeper knowledge—and seek out those experiences on their own.
For reluctant readers, the key is to create authentic opportunities for them to experience the power of reading: how it can tie into their passions, expand what they know, and offer something meaningful beyond the page.
Mark’s Story
Several years ago, I worked with a fifth grader—let’s call him Mark. He was bright, funny, and full of energy, but he refused to read. He found all the school books boring and dismissed every title his parents suggested, from Diary of a Wimpy Kid to Dog Man.
His parents hired me to tutor him, which often meant just sitting beside him as he reluctantly slogged through pages. After a few sessions, I realized we needed a completely different approach.
Instead of starting with “Let’s pick up where we left off,” I asked him to walk around the block with me. During that walk, I learned he was passionate about soccer, loved wearing Under Armour, and had even formed a neighborhood biker gang that sold lemonade on weekends.
The next session, I brought him something short and tailored to his interests—a three-sentence fact card about how Under Armour got its name:
“The name ‘Under Armour’ came from a funny mix-up and a smart choice about a phone number. Founder Kevin Plank first wanted to call the company ‘Body Armor,’ but someone else already owned that name. His brother joked about calling it ‘Under Armor,’ and Kevin liked it—choosing the British spelling ‘armour’ so he could get the phone number 888-4ARMOUR.”
Mark devoured the facts and asked for more. Soon, I found a whole book about the history of the company. It wasn’t an instant transformation, but it became the first step in showing him that reading could connect directly to his passions.
Over the next six months, we explored books about the rise of various companies, mixed in his schoolwork, and kept the reading environment positive. Mark is now in college, studying branding and marketing—a field where literacy is essential for understanding how words, visuals, and ideas connect to people’s emotions and decisions.
Key Takeaways
Mark’s story is just one example, but it highlights something important: reluctant readers don’t magically change their habits overnight. They need a reason, a connection, and repeated opportunities to see reading as valuable. Here are three strategies that can make a real difference.
Show purpose before pushing pages.
Before kids can enjoy reading, they need to see why it matters in their lives. For many reluctant readers, books feel disconnected from their real-world interests or goals. Showing purpose might mean linking reading to something they already care about—whether that’s learning a new skill, understanding the history behind a favorite brand, or exploring a topic that helps them in sports or hobbies. It also means pointing out the everyday ways reading shapes their world: a recipe that becomes a favorite family dinner, instructions that help them master a game, or an article that changes how they think about an interest. When kids understand that reading gives them access to knowledge, opportunities, and even social connections, the act of picking up a book or text begins to feel worthwhile.
Connect to interests.
Reluctant readers are far more likely to engage when the material feels personal. That might mean choosing nonfiction connected to their hobbies—books about athletes, musicians, fashion brands, or tech innovations—or weaving their passions into the reading experience through short articles, interviews, or even infographics. For fiction, it could mean selecting stories set in a world they already enjoy, whether that’s a favorite sport, time period, or fantasy realm. The key is to start where their enthusiasm already lives and then gradually expand their reading diet to include new genres and formats. By beginning with what matters to them, we build trust and open the door to deeper engagement.
This is also where the “just let reluctant readers read comic books” advice can fall short. If a child isn’t naturally drawn to humor, dialogue, or illustrated storytelling, comics may not spark genuine interest. Without helping them connect to a deeper purpose or personal “why” behind reading, the motivation will be temporary at best.
Integrate reading into everyday life.
Reading doesn’t have to be limited to novels or school assignments. In fact, everyday reading can be one of the most effective ways to help a reluctant reader practice without the pressure. This can include scanning a menu and deciding on an order, reading a recipe together and cooking the meal, looking up travel destinations, or following the instructions to build something. Even small tasks—like reading signs in a store, directions on a new gadget, or captions on social media—count toward building reading habits. The more reading becomes a natural, useful part of daily routines, the less it feels like a chore and the more it becomes a skill they rely on instinctively.
Closing
Helping a reluctant reader isn’t about finding a magic book—it’s about showing them that reading is a tool they can use to unlock things they care about. When we connect reading to purpose, curiosity, and identity, we give kids a reason to pick up words on a page and make them their own. And while that transformation might be slow, it can lead to a lifetime of reading—not always for leisure, but always for learning.