Ever wondered why your child resists reading time, despite your best efforts? The solution might be simpler than you think. Rather than completely overhauling your reading routine, small, thoughtful shifts can create breakthrough moments where resistance transforms into excitement.

In this episode, I share three powerful yet incredibly simple tweaks that can revolutionize your child's relationship with books. First, we explore how shifting what we celebrate – from quantity of pages to qualities like persistence and courage – builds intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset about reading. When we acknowledge a child for sticking with a tricky word or choosing their own book, we're celebrating the reader, not just the reading.

Next, we dive into how physical environments dramatically impact reading engagement. That kitchen table with its distractions and clinical feel? It might be undermining your efforts. Discover how creating a designated cozy space – even just a corner with pillows and personal touches – can make reading feel like a special treat rather than an obligation. When children read in spaces they've helped create, ownership and enjoyment naturally follow.

Finally, I reveal how adding a "makerspace twist" to required reading transforms passive consumption into active exploration. By inviting children to solve story problems through building and creating, books become springboards for imagination rather than items to check off a list. This approach deepens comprehension as children must truly understand characters and conflicts to design meaningful solutions. Using simple materials like cardboard, Legos, or recyclables, children engage with stories in ways that build critical thinking alongside reading skills.

The beauty of these approaches is their simplicity – you don't need special training or expensive materials to implement them. Try just one this week and watch for shifts in your child's attitude toward reading. And don't forget to download my free STEM Story Station resource to get started with story-based creation activities. Together, we're creating joyful, confident readers, one gentle tweak at a time.

🎁 Grab my FREE Communication STEM Story Station to Bring a Book to life!
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