If you love to read, you probably have fond memories of bedtime stories with one of your parents. Maybe you spent rainy summer days at the library or had a teacher who could make books come to life. Maybe you couldn’t wait to get the next issue of your favorite comic.

In many ways, parenting today is different from what it was 20 years ago. But one thing remains the same: Parents want their kids to succeed in school. The question is how?

Luckily, the formula for success is the same as it was when you were a kid: Read. Read a lot. A wealth of research links reading in elementary school to academic success, but the reality is that most elementary-school children are not proficient readers. Simply telling children to read more isn’t enough — they have to enjoy it.

A recent Age of Learning survey of 1,000 parents and 1,000 teachers of children ages 2 to 12 uncovered three factors contributing to this reading gap:

Many children lack access to books:

• More than half of parents surveyed say they have fewer than 50 books of any type in the home, including children’s books.
• The National Education Association reports that more than 8,000 schools in the United States don’t have a library on campus.

Parents aren’t sure how to support their kid’s reading needs:

• Most teachers surveyed believe that parents are not involved enough in their child’s education and that the majority of parents want to do more but are unsure how.
• Two-thirds of parents surveyed said they did not know their child’s reading level.

Children don’t spend enough time reading outside of school:

• The overwhelming majority of teachers surveyed believe students should spend 15 to 60 minutes per day reading outside of school.
• Teachers report that almost a third of their students are struggling to meet literacy standards.

While this may sound alarming, there are more resources than ever to help parents change the tide and support kids' reading. Here are some ways to help your child not only read more, but also love to read:

1. Give your child books to read

The first step in encouraging your child to read is making sure they have plenty of books at their fingertips. According to the Age of Learning survey, cost and space to store books were top challenges to having books in the home. A subscription to a digital library, such as ReadingIQ, is a low-cost alternative that solves the book storage problem.

Your local library can also be an excellent partner in your efforts to encourage your kids to read more. Librarians are knowledgeable about books that young readers like and can help you make appropriate selections. More than 8,000 public libraries nationwide make ABCmouse.com available for families to use on-site at no cost. Families get access to more than 10,000 learning activities including thousands of books at various levels.

2. Know your child’s reading level

The second step in encouraging your child to read more is making sure they are reading books at the right level. Reading books that are too easy won’t expand vocabulary and literacy. Reading books that are too hard will cause frustration rather than foster a love of reading.

Books at the right reading level will challenge your young reader with enough new words to stretch their minds without being too difficult. Digital learning programs such as ABCmouse and ReadingIQ offer thousands of books leveled with both Guided Reading and Lexile systems so that families can easily find titles that match their child’s reading ability.

Ask your child’s teacher for help identifying their correct reading level. If you can’t get a specific reading level, a librarian can help with reading levels that are typical for your child’s grade. If your child is above or below grade level, you may need to experiment within the typical ranges.

Watch them as they read. Better yet, ask your child to read aloud. If they seem to struggle, a book may be too hard. If they breeze through a book quickly, it may be too easy. Ask them to tell you about what they read to see if they are grasping the concepts (and not just reading the words on the page). The next time you return to the library, share this information with your librarian as you search for another book to read.

3. Make time to read

One of the biggest struggles for parents trying to help their child read more is finding the time to do it. It can be tough to carve out time in a busy day. Look for a window when things are a little quieter—right after dinner or before bed, for example.

When you discover a time that works, try to treat it as you would any other appointment. Remind your child, encouraging them to read during the appointed time, and reward them when they do. Talk to them about what they’ve read and use it as an opportunity to share the joy of reading. You can also actively demonstrate the importance and wonder of reading by reading your own books as your child reads theirs.

4. Take your child on an adventure

Encourage your child to find their next favorite book by taking them on a book treasure hunt to find books that spark their interest. Finding books a child likes—and making them part of the search process—helps build a personal connection with reading. Ask them what their favorite topics and genres are as you browse a physical or digital library together.

5. Embrace the simple wonder of words

Books are a great way to connect with language, but they’re not the only way. Books can be daunting, especially for very early readers, and just the idea of reading can seem disconnected from the world they live in. Try labeling objects around the house to help your child see the connection between the black-and-white letters on the page and the vibrant objects and ideas around them. Just like learning how to speak, connecting language with thoughts and ideas can help the way your child perceives life.

All children are different, so find what works for your family. And remember that you don’t have to do it alone — teachers and librarians can be great sources of support to help you inspire a love of literature.

The way we parent may change, but the power of reading stays the same. So whether it’s pulling out an old copy of your childhood favorite, or finding a new gem through a digital library, give your child the key to success by discovering the world of books together.

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