According to Scholastic's Raising Students Who Want to Read, one of the keys to creating intrinsic motivation is leading by example. Teachers can talk to students with excitement about something they've personally read, showing their enthusiasm as they do so. When students see teachers, who serve as a role models, reading or talking about reading it can motivate the child to also want to read. For added motivation, encourage local children's book authors to visit with students to discuss their books and engage them in conversation.
Allowing students to read about topics of their own choice provides them with an opportunity to be led freely into reading. If students love playing and watching sports, encourage them to read a one of Mike Lupika's sports stories for kids. Students with an affinity for science might be more interested in "Cool Stuff and How it Works," by Chris Woodford.
Choose age-appropriate books to interest students in reading. A middle-school student will have more sophisticated interests than a younger student, such as physics, science fiction, biographies and social issues. A third-grader might be more interested in subjects such as dinosaurs, airplanes or animals.
For students who have reached the 5th or 6th grade level, teachers can create lesson plans on individuals students admire. The "Who Was..." series includes easy-to-read biographies on a variety of famous people, ranging from "Who Was Albert Einstein" to "Who Was Martin Luther King Jr." Famous sports figures also create books for kids, such as "On the Field with Peyton and Eli Manning."