Somewhere along the way, we stopped turning pages.
The joy of reading is quietly disappearing. According to new research, 31% of 13-year-olds reported in 2023 that they “never or hardly ever” read for fun. In 1984, that number was just 8%. That's not a trend, it's a warning light.
The Joy of Reading Is Fading
If you're a parent who grew up with Reading Rainbow and library cards, this shift can feel deeply personal. Reading was once how we explored the world. Now, if his kids want to learn something, they’re more likely to look for a video than in a book.
So is reading still relevant?
Dr. Kathy believes so. “Reading is life-giving and life-changing…We learn to read so we can read to learn.”
Reading isn’t just for school. It teaches focus. It builds empathy. It helps children hold onto ideas, rehearse what’s true, and develop a view of the world that goes beyond the scroll of a screen.
What Happened to Reading?
The pandemic didn’t help. Learning phonics through a screen? Nearly impossible. Add in performance for grades and busy households, and you have a culture that prioritizes efficiency over discovery. The result is many children don’t read well, and even fewer want to read at all.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Dr. Kathy notes that kids associate reading with whatever emotions they experienced when they learned it. Were they in their dad’s lap, laughing at silly voices? Or alone with a screen, being asked to sound out hard words without help?
Reading should be a love language. Kids feel secure and live life unhurried with a book in front of them. When a parent reads aloud, they’re not just building vocabulary. They’re building connection.
How to Inspire a Love of Reading
So how do we help our kids rediscover the joy?
First, they need to see us read. Especially dads. Boys in particular need male role models who read, and not just novels. Manuals, news articles, atlases, and Scripture need to be in and around our lives. Kids need to know that reading isn’t just academic. It’s life.
Second, we tailor reading to their interests. Have a kid who loves cars? Grab brochures from dealerships. An artist? Find biographies of painters and designers. A future pilot? Visit an aviation museum and collect reading material.
When reading is connected to their passions, kids don’t just read. They remember.
The Theology of Reading
In Deuteronomy 31, before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses didn’t just give a speech; he wrote down God’s law and had it read aloud every seven years. The people couldn’t all read, but hearing those words anchored their identity and helped them remember who they were.
God could have passed on truth any way He wanted. He chose writing. Because reading and remembering are deeply tied to how we form our worldview.
Reading doesn’t just fill the mind; it roots the heart. It teaches our children how to think, reflect, remember, and believe.
Use the 8 Great Smarts to Help Your Kids Rediscover Reading
Here are ways you can help kids love reading again by engaging their strongest smarts:
Word Smart – Let them read aloud to siblings or create funny voices for characters. Give them joke books, song lyrics, or scripts to explore.
Logic Smart – Find books that explain how things work, like science experiments, mysteries, or “why” books. Tie reading to their love of patterns and systems.
Picture Smart – Use graphic novels, richly illustrated books, or have them draw what they read. Let visuals lead them into the story.
Music Smart – Explore poetry, rhythmic stories, or musicals in script form. Let them create songs based on what they’ve read.
Body Smart – Try audiobooks while walking or acting out scenes together. Let them fidget while listening to or reading a story.
Nature Smart – Read outdoors or find books about animals, weather, gardening, or the environment. Create “nature notebooks” with observations and facts.
People Smart – Start a parent-child book club or read a chapter a day and discuss it at dinner. Let them read with a friend and talk about it.
Self Smart – Encourage journaling or personal reflection about characters or themes. Let them explore devotionals or biographies that inspire them.
Remember, reading isn’t just an assignment. It’s a memory maker. A worldview builder. A gift. And it’s one of the best ways to help your child know who they are, whose they are, and how to live in this world with clarity and conviction.