I have books all over my house for both my kids and myself. We just love books and weekly trips to the library. A reading challenge just might be something to get everyone in your house interested in reading. Why not grab a book to read why your kids are reading too.
I get it though, not all kids love to read, sometimes it’s a struggle to get them to read, so I thought maybe coming up with a different way of finding books might help spark their interest.
Spring Reading Challenge for Elementary Kids
Let’s keep our kids reading this Spring even with the beautiful weather that is going to come with it. My first piece of advice would be to let them choose the books. I know you want to pick out of some great books for them, but you choosing just might lead to them not reading.
Every day, your child picks a reading square to complete, and when it’s completed, mark it off with a marker or sticker. When they get Bingo, they get a fun prize! They’re not anything big–just fun things that I know the kids will like. Candy, stickers, staying up late to watch a movie, etc. The dollar store is a great place to get little prizes.
They can then work on another row to get Bingo again. If they fill up the whole card, they get a special prize!
Building a Love of Reading That Lasts All Year
One of the biggest goals I have as a parent isn’t just teaching my kids how to read—it’s helping them discover that reading can be fun. When children begin choosing books because they’re interested instead of because they’re assigned, something wonderful happens. Reading becomes an adventure instead of a chore.
Spring is the perfect season to refresh your family’s reading habits. The weather is warmer, the days are longer, and there are so many cozy places to curl up with a great book. Read outside on a blanket, under a tree, on the porch, or even during a picnic at the park. Sometimes simply changing where your child reads makes the experience feel completely new.
Remember that every child develops reading confidence at their own pace. Some children race through chapter books while others still enjoy picture books or early readers. Both are perfectly okay. The goal is building confidence and enjoyment, not rushing through reading levels.
Tips to Encourage Elementary Kids to Read More
If your child isn’t naturally excited about reading, don’t worry. Many reluctant readers simply haven’t found the right books yet.
Here are a few ideas that have worked well for our family:
- Let your child choose books that interest them.
- Visit the library every week or two.
- Read together even after your child can read independently.
- Keep baskets of books throughout the house.
- Read before bed every night.
- Listen to audiobooks together during car rides.
- Celebrate completed books instead of focusing on reading speed.
- Allow comic books, graphic novels, joke books, and nonfiction books—they all count as reading!
Sometimes giving your child freedom to pick books about dinosaurs, trucks, horses, science, animals, or superheroes is exactly what sparks a lifelong love of reading.
Creating a Family Reading Routine
Reading doesn’t have to be another complicated activity added to an already busy schedule.
Even just fifteen to twenty minutes each day can make a huge difference.
Some easy ways to fit reading into everyday life include:
- Reading after breakfast.
- Quiet reading time after lunch.
- Family reading before bedtime.
- Reading outside after dinner.
- Bringing books along to appointments or sports practices.
Children notice when parents read too. Seeing you enjoy a novel or magazine helps show that reading is something people continue to enjoy throughout life.
Reading Challenge Ideas
Want to make your Spring Reading Challenge even more exciting?
Try adding a few bonus challenges like these:
- Read under a blanket fort.
- Read outside.
- Read with a flashlight.
- Read to a younger sibling.
- Read a book about animals.
- Read a funny book.
- Read a mystery.
- Read a nonfiction book.
- Read with a grandparent.
- Read for 30 minutes without distractions.
- Finish an entire book in one day.
- Read while enjoying a healthy snack.
- Visit the library and check out five new books.
- Read a book that became a movie.
- Read a book recommended by a friend.
Kids often love checking these challenges off throughout the month.
Beginner Readers
If your child is just beginning to read independently, simple books with repetitive words and familiar characters help build confidence.
Some of our favorite beginner readers include:
- Berenstain Bears I Can Read Books
- Pinkalicious I Can Read Books
- PAW Patrol I Can Read Books
- Pete the Cat I Can Read Books
These shorter books are wonderful because children can experience success quickly. That feeling of finishing an entire book by themselves builds confidence for the next one.
Our Favorite Elementary Reading List
If you’re looking for more books to fill your reading challenge, here are some wonderful choices for elementary-aged readers.
Kindergarten & First Grade
- Pete the Cat series
- Elephant & Piggie series
- Frog and Toad series
- Little Bear series
- Biscuit series
- Amelia Bedelia I Can Read Books
- Henry and Mudge series
- Splat the Cat
- The Pigeon books
- Bear Snores On
- There Was an Old Lady series
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
- Curious George
- Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Mercy Watson series
Second Grade
- Magic Tree House series
- Nate the Great
- Flat Stanley
- Junie B. Jones
- Cam Jansen
- Owl Diaries
- Princess in Black
- Zoey and Sassafras
- The Bad Seed
- The Good Egg
- Narwhal and Jelly
- Fly Guy
- Dragon Masters
- Unicorn Academy
Third Grade
- Boxcar Children
- A to Z Mysteries
- My Father’s Dragon
- Encyclopedia Brown
- Geronimo Stilton
- Dog Man
- InvestiGators
- Wayside School
- The Wild Robot
- The Lemonade War
- Frindle
- The One and Only Ivan
Fourth & Fifth Grade
- Wonder
- Because of Winn-Dixie
- Holes
- Charlotte’s Web
- The Tale of Despereaux
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians
- Harry Potter
- Hatchet
- The Secret Garden
- The Phantom Tollbooth
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
- Fish in a Tree
- Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
- Pax
Don’t Forget Nonfiction
Not every child falls in love with storybooks first.
Many kids become enthusiastic readers because they discover books about things they already love.
Some popular nonfiction topics include:
- Dinosaurs
- Sharks
- Space
- Weather
- Volcanoes
- Bugs and insects
- Sports
- Cars and trucks
- Famous inventors
- National parks
- Ocean animals
- Ancient Egypt
The library is full of colorful nonfiction books that are perfect for curious elementary students.
Make Reading Feel Like an Adventure
Instead of asking, “Did you read today?” try asking questions like:
- What was your favorite part?
- Which character would you want to meet?
- Would you recommend this book?
- What surprised you?
- What do you think happens next?
These conversations help children think more deeply about what they’re reading while making books something the whole family can talk about together.
Celebrate Every Reading Milestone
Every book finished is worth celebrating.
Your rewards don’t have to be expensive. Kids often love simple rewards like:
- Choosing dinner
- A family movie night
- Extra playground time
- Ice cream after dinner
- Picking the next library books
- Staying up fifteen minutes later
- A new bookmark
- Stickers
- A trip to the dollar store
Most importantly, celebrate the effort. Whether your child finishes one book or twenty this spring, every page they read helps strengthen their reading skills and confidence.
Before you know it, you’ll have children who reach for books simply because they love getting lost in a great story—and that’s one of the best gifts we can give them.
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