Reading skills are important for success in school. Reading helps students understand coursework, build interest in subjects, and enjoy the curriculum. But it's easy for a child to see reading as a chore when it’s too formal or includes learning complex information.

Lack of motivation is what prevents most students from learning reading:. Once a student's perspective on reading changes, it becomes easy for them to love reading. Teachers and tutors agree that improving reading comprehension is all about teaching kids to change how they think. 

Good reading skills equip students with the skills they need later in life, like comprehension skills, listening skills, and emotional skills. Reading also makes kids more intelligent; as they read, they absorb more information. Here’s how you can ignite your students’ passion for reading.

1. Connect Reading to Life Experiences

The best reading programs for kids are those that relate the reading material to a child’s life experiences. You can also help students understand the content by associating it with current events. The books most children read can be easily connected to events happening in their real lives. 

For example, you can tell students that if they learn to read, they can be reading bedtime stories to their siblings. Encourage learners to read material and discuss it in relation to movies, other books, or the news. You can help them make connections by writing ideas and asking questions. Create a video to highlight the similarities between events in the book and real life. This makes reading fun and engaging.

2. Track Reading Progress 

Your students can create journals of their reading progress. Journaling what they read and summarizing the reading material helps enhance their reading comprehension. In the journals, they can write down challenging words, phrases, and passages. They can also narrate their opinion on the text--like what they liked or disliked. Teachers and tutors can review these journals regularly and discuss with students about their progress. 

Before starting a journal, students should set reading goals, like “To understand the primary purpose of each book.” And as they write entries in the journals, they can track their progress. 

3. Practice Problem-Solving

Problem-solving skills are some of the most essential skills in life. To help students build these skills, provide guiding questions or let them review the book's questions before reading. Thinking before reading helps learners know what to focus on, identify problems, and come up with solutions. Once they are done reading, they can discuss the problems they identified and their solutions--in small groups or as a class. 

Integrating real-world problem-solving skills into reading helps improve reading comprehension. Instead of reading continuously, students should think as they read. They can stop when they have a question or get confused. They can then re-read the sections to find answers.

Allowing students to play a key role can significantly build reading comprehension. As you introduce more activities, you will discover what works best for individual students.