At the beginning of October, the Netherlands once again fills up with bookmarks, reading mornings, and teachers dressed in costume at school. It is Children's Book Week. Schools and libraries make an extra effort during this time to get children excited about reading.
For many parents, this brings up a familiar question: my child doesn't really like to read, what can I do about that? That question is more relevant than ever. Research by Stichting Lezen (Reading Foundation) shows that reading enjoyment among Dutch children has been declining for years, especially among children between 9 and 12 years old. International PIRLS research also shows that while Dutch children have decent technical reading skills, they experience relatively little reading pleasure compared to children in other countries.
That is no cause for panic, but it is a good reason to think about what actually stimulates reading pleasure. And there is a surprising link there with something Zappie has been involved with for a long time: hands-on, goal-oriented engagement with something where you determine the outcome yourself.
Why reading pleasure is more important than reading level
Reading proficiency and reading pleasure are not the same thing. A child may have excellent technical reading skills but still never open a book if they don't want to on their own.
Research by the OECD, among others, shows that reading pleasure is a stronger predictor of later academic performance than socioeconomic background. Children who enjoy reading read more often. Children who read more often naturally become better at reading. It is a self-reinforcing cycle, in either a positive or negative direction. The practical question for parents is therefore not just "how do I teach my child to read better", but above all: "how do I make sure my child wants to read?"
What reading pleasure and hands-on play have in common
A good book actually works the same way as a good construction project. Both keep a child actively engaged in a process: you don't know exactly how it will end yet, but you are motivated to find out.
Child psychologists call this intrinsic motivation: doing something because you find it interesting yourself, not because you have to. With reading, that motivation arises from curiosity about the story. With building, experimenting, and constructing, that same motivation arises because a child wants to know if something will work.
There is another similarity. Both activities require perseverance. Finishing an exciting book takes time and concentration. So does finishing a construction kit. Children who more often experience that perseverance pays off develop a stronger foundation to maintain that even with reading when a book becomes difficult.
Practical tips to stimulate reading pleasure
Experts from Stichting Lezen and the KB (National Library) have been giving parents similar advice for years. A number of these are immediately applicable, even outside of Children's Book Week.
- Let your child choose for themselves. A child who chooses a subject or genre themselves reads with more pleasure than a child who is assigned a mandatory book.
- Read visibly yourself. Children copy behavior. A parent who occasionally sits on the couch with a book normalizes reading as a leisure activity.
- Talk about the story. Do not just ask "did you finish it," but "what would you do in that situation." That makes reading more active and personal.
- Combine reading with doing. A book about space travel becomes extra fun if you get to work with it yourself afterwards, for example by building your own rover and discovering how it moves across "Martian soil."
- Don't turn it into a performance. Reading pleasure actually drops when reading is primarily linked to tests and levels. Free reading can also just be for fun.
Story and imagination continue in play
Many children automatically process what they read in their play. A book about spies leads to secret missions in the garden. A story about space raises questions about how rockets and rovers actually work. That is no coincidence: imagination requires an outlet. For parents, that is a great opportunity. By giving space to physically act out the story after reading, a child stays engaged with the theme longer and deepens their involvement with what they have just read. Building, experimenting, and imagining reinforce each other.
In short
Children's Book Week is a great moment to pause and reflect on reading pleasure, not just reading level. Research shows that pleasure is the most important engine behind reading growth in the long term. By letting children choose for themselves, setting a good example, and linking stories to active play, you help get that engine running.
Looking for more ways to keep your child curious away from the screen? At Zappie, we believe that learning works best when children discover for themselves, whether that is with a book in their hand or a self-built construction kit on the table.