Keep books available at home, in the car and at any place where the child spends a great deal of time. Stock shelves and coffee tables with best sellers and classic tales to keep the child engaged.
Schedule regular reading time as part of the child's daily routine. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes per day and read a chapter or section of an interesting book. Choose to have reading time in the evening as your child is winding down for the day.
Choose a book that is written at your child's reading level or just above. Books that contain difficult wording or are too hard to comprehend can turn children off to reading.
Look for books that have short sentences and are rich in imagery and sensory details. Offer a combination of fiction, non-fiction and well-crafted poetry to see which grasps the child's attention. Choose books that deal with your child's interests and contain engaging plots.
Read aloud with the child to help portray emotions and character personalities found in the book. Modulate your voice or read faster to show excitement or read slower to foster suspense. Give each character a distinctive voice to help the child learn character association and to better follow the storyline.
Ask questions and allow the child to make predictions on what's to come in the story. Taking breaks to talk about the book helps you to gauge whether or not the child understands what you have read thus far. Take time to review each chapter before moving onto the next.
Stop reading at the end of each chapter or just before a suspenseful twist in the story. Suspense will keep the child interested in the story and wanting to hear more. Encourage the child to tell what she liked about the story at the end of each session.
Take the child on frequent trips to the library, book sales or conventions where he can become exposed to a wide world of publishing. Give the child an allowance to purchase new books or supply him with his own library card. Encourage him to choose more challenging books to keep his interest.