Setting an example for your fourth grader can show him that reading is something that many people do. Sit down with him and take turns reading from an age-appropriate book. Allow him to read a paragraph to you and then read the next one to him. Completing the task of reading together can help alleviate some of the pressure on him to read the entire book and gives him the assurance of your help if he needs it. Allow him to sound things out, but if he needs assistance with a word, help him out so he doesn't feel discouraged.
Some fourth graders respond well to a reward system. However, each child responds in a different way, so you may need to make adjustments to find what works best for your child. To start, set a goal for how much your child should read each day -- a certain number of pages or a certain length of time. Each day he completes his quota, he earns a sticker. After a predetermined number of stickers, he earns a prize he desires, such as a video game, a trip to see a movie or the meal of his choice.
If your child is more interested in video games than reading, choose video games that require your fourth grader to read. Even if you can't get him to play an educational reading game, select one that requires you to read on-screen instructions to play. Reading as part of a game can be just the motivation a child who enjoys video games needs. It can also help him hone his skills in an environment in which he is comfortable.
When a child doesn't enjoy reading, he is less likely to want to do it if the topic of the reading material doesn't interest him. Fourth graders often have specific topics in which they are interested. Choose books that cover these topics to help motivate your child to read. For example, if he is interested in baseball, he will be more likely to read books about baseball players or the history of the game. Keeping your child interested in reading is crucial to motivating him.
Reading can make a fourth grader feel self-conscious, especially if he thinks he's not good at it. Offer to record your child as he reads out loud to you or to himself. Allow him to listen to himself reading out loud. If he can hear himself from another perspective, he will feel more comfortable with his reading. When he realizes that he reads better than he thought he did, he is more likely to want to read more.