Do I need to be a reading expert for my child to be a reader?
By Srilakshmi R, Co-Founder
April 8th 2026
“I buy him every book. He hasn’t touched them since the time we brought them home from the store.”
“Why doesn’t my child read? He runs away from books.”
“Her teacher shares a summer reading list at the end of the school year, but she says all the books seem boring. How do I push her to read during the holidays at least? I worry she will be lag behind in her reading skills.”
When I hear parents say things like this, it makes me wonder: should the parent be a reading expert to build a reader? If yes, how early should they start? If no, then how do we go about raising a child who loves to read?
What does reading look like?
I think we need to start at the very basic question: when a child is reading, what do they do? Does reading only mean sitting quietly and flipping page after page? When an infant reads a book with only pictures and babbles on about what they are seeing, is that reading? What about read-alouds where an adult reads to a child (or a group of children), pausing at certain points and asking questions to the children to prompt predictions or make connections with the text? Even though children aren’t actively reading, could this be considered reading? Our answer is yes! While silent reading is absolutely reading, it’s also important to recognise how else reading could look like. An important part of reading is listening, and that’s something we tend to overlook.
Reading to your child is still reading! Storytelling (oral storytelling, puppetry etc) is a powerful way to get students interested in listening to stories, which in turn can spark curiosity to pick up a book and explore independently.
Reading with a peer or a partner takes the pressure off and gives the child space to make mistakes and learn from them
What can I do to build a reader?
It’s not too late! There are many reasons why a child may not like to read. We’d like to empower parents with some simple steps to push your child’s reading to the next
- Let your child pick their books. It’s tempting to step in and suggest books to children, especially if we have read them in our childhood. But let them take the steering wheel and do some exploring on their own. Your opinions take a back seat here. If your child is in grade 3, but is picking a book meant for a younger child, let them. Encourage them to browse through all the books and make a list. They can make their final picks once they say they have browsed enough. Vidya Mani from Funky Rainbow says, “Reading should be self-directed and enjoyable.” We concur!
- The sooner you build in a routine for reading, the better. Reading to your child before bed is a great way to incorporate reading into a child’s daily routine. If your child is older, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re too old to be read to. Pick a book they like and spend about 15 mins to half an hour every day to read before bed (or a time that works for you and your child). You can even set aside 30 mins of reading time as a family, say a Saturday morning after breakfast. Everybody reads something- a newspaper, magazine, a poem, a comic. Anything! Pick the time limit and stick to it. Consistency is key!
- While you don’t need to be a reading expert, it’s necessary to discuss books and ideas. This could mean that you become a reader yourself. Start by discussing the book you’re reading/have read during bedtime. Questions like “What do you think will happen to X next?”, “Why do you think he did that?”, “What would you have done if you were in their place?”, “Were there words that you had to look up while reading the story?” will help push the conversation forward. Even starting a conversation on what they’re enjoying reading (or not) will get the ball rolling. Reading is not just about reading from the beginning till the end. It’s also the conversations around what we read and talking about what has stayed with us. Model curiosity by asking your questions about what they like or dislike. They will learn that there’s so much more to discover through reading.
I suspect many parents will find these tips a bit “unnatural”. Naturally, we don’t speak to our children like this. But we encourage you to make reading a part of your daily routine, and talking about reading is a great way to do just this. Reach out to SkilLit Readers to help support your child’s reading journey- we offer various programs (for schools too!) for children between the ages of 4 and 14.