Engaging Reluctant Readers

From 'I Hate Reading' to 'Just One More Chapter'–My Journey as a Reluctant Reader

• Ellen Westbrook • Season 1 • Episode 11

Share episode

Ever wonder if your reluctant reader will ever enjoy books? I get it—because I used to be that kid. In this deeply personal episode, I share my journey from loving picture books to avoiding reading at all costs… and what finally brought me back.

You’ll hear what caused me to pull away from reading, the moments that kept the spark alive, and how becoming a mom shifted everything. If your child is resisting books—or you’re carrying your own reading baggage—this story is for you. Hope, healing, and practical inspiration are just one play away.

 

 What You’ll Learn:
✔ Why even early book lovers can lose interest—and how to reconnect
✔ How vision issues, school pressures, and boredom shaped my reading resistance
✔ The powerful role of “shining moments” in rekindling interest
✔ How parenting turned my reading habits around
✔ What finally helped me fall in love with books (and how it might help your child too)

 

⏳ Key Episode Highlights:

 [00:00:52] How my early love for reading slowly faded

 [00:02:09] Avoiding glasses + school stress = reading burnout

 [00:03:42] Shining moments that temporarily reignited my interest

 [00:04:05] Greek theater + creativity = reading joy

 [00:05:22] Books like A Time for Dancing & Romeo and Juliet brought emotion

 [00:06:39] A London trip planted lasting literary seeds

 [00:12:50] Movie-based reads like The Hunger Games pulled me in

 [00:14:05] How motherhood + bedtime routines brought reading back

 [00:15:24] Building a library for my kids and finding my “why”

 [00:17:01] From book avoider to reading coach—and why it’s never too late

 [00:20:13] A powerful reading moment with I Survived the Titanic

 [00:21:57] Sneak peek at next week’s episode

 

📖 Prefer to Read? Full blog post: https://engagingreluctantreaders.com/2025/07/03/from-book-hater-to-book-lover/


 📺 Prefer to Watch? YouTube video version: https://youtu.be/bTjWIK71Q_U

 

✨ FREEBIE ALERT!
Grab your Reading Bucket List Bundle with 164 creative reading ideas!
📥 Get it here → https://bit.ly/RBLBundle


Share your thoughts!


🎧Love the podcast? Hit the 5⭐to leave a rating & review!

It helps get this podcast out in front of more moms that need to hear it, so we can help more reluctant readers learn to love books and put an end to the nightly battles around reading!

Resources:

Follow on Instagram

Follow the Facebook Page

Join the Engaging Reluctant Readers Tribe (Facebook Group)

Follow on Pinterest

Subscribe to the Engaging Reluctant Readers YouTube Channel

✨Grab your Reading Bucket List Bundle today!



[00:00:00] Welcome to the Engaging Reluctant Readers podcast. I'm Ellen Westbrook, your host and Recovering Reluctant Reader. Together, we'll tackle reading roadblocks with personalized strategies and out of the box ideas, all while rediscovering the joy of family reading fun. Ready to transform your child's view of reading from dread to must be read?

[00:00:18] Let's dive into today's episode.

[00:00:25] Just a heads up, I wanted to let you know that each episode comes with a full blog post packed with extra tips and resources, so just check the episode description below for the link.

[00:00:34] Have you ever looked at your child and thought, they're just not a reader? Maybe they drag their feet at story time, complain that books are boring, or do everything but read when it's time to sit down with a book. And no matter how many strategies you try, nothing seems to click. I get it, because I used to be that reader. I used to feel that way about reading, about myself.  

[00:00:52] The funny thing is, I started off loving books. As a little kid, I couldn't wait for story time. And by kindergarten, I was proudly reading on my own. But by third grade, something started to change. The books I had to read weren't nearly as exciting as the ones I wanted to read. And little by little, that chipped away at my enthusiasm, and reading started to feel less like fun and more like homework. By the time I hit my teen years, I was convinced that once I finished school, I'd never need to pick up a book again. Spoiler alert. That's not how life works. 

[00:01:20] Now, of course, I can't imagine my life without reading. Books are a huge part of my day-to-day, not just for me, but for my kids. And looking back, I wish I had understood sooner just how much of a difference reading would make, not just in school, but in life. 

[00:01:33] So today I'm sharing my reading journey, how I went from an eager young reader to avoiding books entirely, and what finally changed everything. And if you've ever wondered if it's too late for your reluctant reader to love books, I really hope my story will give you some hope. So, let's get into it.  

[00:01:47] When I was little, books were a huge part of my life. I love story time with my parents, and every night we read together before bed. When I started kindergarten, I was excited to learn how to read, and by the end of the year, I could confidently read "Berenstain Bear" books on my own. I still remember how proud I was. I didn't need my parents to read to me anymore, and that felt like such a big deal. But by the time I hit third grade, something started to shift. 

[00:02:09] Now, if you've ever seen me on social media, you might already know I wear glasses. What you might not know is I started wearing them before I even entered kindergarten, because I was extremely nearsighted. In fact, they had concerns that I might go cross-eyed someday. And I hated them. Not just in a kids don't like glasses kind of way. I mean, we weren't exactly working with the cute kids frames they have now, but these were the thick Coke bottle glasses, the ones that I was convinced would get me teased. So by third grade, I conveniently "lost" several pairs. And side note, when my family moved years later, we found two pairs behind a bookcase. At the time, my eyes could still pull the 20-20 vision. Ah, the beauty of young eyes. So my parents eventually stopped forcing the issue, figuring they were fighting a losing battle. But here's the problem. Reading for long periods without glasses gave me headaches, and the headaches made reading feel like work.

[00:02:54] By this point, my parents weren't reading with me as much anymore. I'd worked so hard to become an independent reader, and they knew I could read on my own. And after a full day at school, not wearing my glasses. The last thing I wanted to do was come home and read for fun. I was burnt out and honestly, I didn't have an updated pair of glasses to wear at that point, even if I wanted to.

[00:03:11] On top of that, the books we read in school didn't excite me. I had no real connection to the stories and I wasn't choosing books I wanted to read. I was being assigned books I had to read and when I wasn't excited about what I was reading, pushing through the headaches just wasn't worth it. Looking back, it wasn't one big thing that made me pull away from reading. It was a slow fade. 

[00:03:30] That's something I think about a lot when it comes to reluctant readers. Sometimes it's not that they can't read, or that they never loved books in the first place. It's those little moments, those little frustrations that build up over time, and before you know it, reading has lost its spark.

[00:03:42] Now even though reading had started to feel like work for me, there were still those shining moments that hooked me for a little bit, but they just never fully reeled me back in. Every now and then something would click. A book, a project, or even an experience would make me forget how much I hated reading. I'd briefly be able to think, "Hey, reading isn't that bad," but as soon as the book was finished, the project was turned in, or the experience ended, I was right back where I started. Reluctant to read. 

[00:04:05] Now, one of the first times this happened, I was in fifth grade. I absolutely loved my teacher, Ms. Brasher. She made learning fun, and she was the first teacher to teach me how to do an in-depth research paper with color coded note cards. I should probably add here that I am a stationery junkie, I love pens, markers, notebooks, all of it. So, getting to color code my notes, that was one of the coolest things I'd ever done in school. And okay, I might be a bit of a nerd too. 

[00:04:28] Anyways, that year we studied Greek and Roman civilizations, and my friend and I were paired together for a project on how they use masks in their comedies and tragedies. I was obsessed. You see, theater and dance were already huge parts of my life, so learning about performers in ancient Greece and how they used masks to convey different emotions, it felt personal. We each got to make our own masks, and created a movement piece, and wrote a paper together. 

[00:04:49] I must have spent hours reading and researching this topic, but it didn't feel like work. I was so drawn in, just like I was when I was watching musicals back then, that I didn't care how much I was reading. It wasn't just the topic that hooked me. If I'd only been assigned to write a paper about Greek and Roman civilizations and the little bit about theater. I probably would have hated it. I would have muddled through just to get a good grade, not because I was actually interested or having any fun, it was the project, the encouragement to create the masks and the movement piece that allowed me to tap into my creative side, which was such a big part of who I am. That is what made this moment shine for me. 

[00:05:22] Then in sixth grade, I had another one of those moments when I picked up "A Time for Dancing" by Davida Wills Herwin. So, this book is about two best friends that love dancing and one of them gets diagnosed with cancer. It was emotional, it was heartbreaking, but I loved every second of it. In fact, it may have been one of the first times I ever felt deeply invested in a book. It's one of those stories that stays with you, even to this day. 

[00:05:44] Then in seventh grade, in drama class, we got to read and perform Romeo and Juliet. I was hooked. I'd already fallen in love with the Leonardo DiCaprio movie version. I mean, what 90s kid didn't? So, getting to read the play itself? I was eating it up. I even copied my favorite lines and passages over to the journal that I kept at that time, and I kept my copy of the script with a black cover and nothing more than a little red rose. I should probably add, I still have both of those today, isn't that a vivid memory? Can you tell? But after that, the spark faded again. 

[00:06:14] Summer after my senior year, I read "A Walk to Remember," I'd already seen and loved the movie and figured, why not? After that, I read a couple more Nicholas Sparks books that had also been turned into movies. But it was summer. I had downtime. And then college hit.

[00:06:27] Now, I want to remind you, each of these books pulled me in but never quite made reading a regular thing again for me. They were more like detours, quick moments of interest before I went back to my usual avoid reading at all costs mindset. 

[00:06:39] But my biggest shining moment was the summer before 9th grade. My parents took us to London. I'd already fallen in love with Romeo and Juliet, as I mentioned before. And on that trip, we got to visit the Globe Theatre, the very place where Shakespeare's plays were performed and still are today. I was fascinated. I imagined what it would have been like to be one of the groundlings, that's the lower-class audience members, who paid a penny to stand in the pit and watch the performances. Now, my brother and I, we didn't get to watch one of Shakespeare's works, but I can tell you from experience, standing for that long? It really starts to hurt, even in your younger years, so I can only imagine these poor adults. Then, we went to Stratford upon Avon. That was Shakespeare's birthplace. I loaded up on books about his life and his collected works. And then later in the same trip, we also visited Bath. 

[00:07:22] Now, this is where Jane Austen lived for part of her life, and I knew some of her stories from movies, but this was the first time I actually bought one of her books, "Persuasion." I started reading it while we were there. Anytime we were on the Tube or had some downtime in our hotel. And by the way, The Tube is London's subway system, for those of you that don't know. But I didn't get to finish it there. 

[00:07:41] That trip still did plant a seed for me. Over the years, I went back to London three more times, including a three-week study abroad trip in college. During that trip, I got to take some time on my own, where I visited Oxford. They actually filmed parts of "Harry Potter" there. I got to see the staircase where McGonagall first meets Harry, the Great Hall, and even the restricted section of the Hogwarts Library. Oh, and don't forget Platform 9 3/4. That's in London. 

[00:08:05] But at the time, I hadn't read any of the Harry Potter books. I'd just seen the movies. But as I was walking those streets, I started to feel immersed in that world. I wanted to read them. I just didn't have the time or the motivation to make it happen. That connection to England, though, it's never faded. 

[00:08:19] To this day, I believe that's why I've remained so connected Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" and "Fantastic Beasts" series. I didn't actually finish the Harry Potter series until recent years, and honestly, audiobooks saved me. Now, I can't wait to share these books with JD as his stamina for chapter books continues to increase. I even bought the illustrated editions of the first four books to help keep him engaged. And someday I look forward to reading them all over again with Hunter.  

[00:08:44] This is why I believe so strongly in the power of experience and how, even for reluctant readers, the right moments can reignite their interest in books. Because when we feel connected to a story, whether it's through travel, themed activities, or even just finding the right book at the right time, it changes the way we see reading.

[00:08:58] Even when kids think they hate reading, the right book, the right project, or the right experience can flip a switch. These moments didn't completely change my relationship with books, but they did keep the door open. You see, despite these shining moments, my overall opinion and attitude towards reading never really changed.

[00:09:12] By the time I hit high school, I was convinced that reading was just part of school. A box to check, an assignment to complete. And once I was done with school, I'd be done with books too. You see, in my mind, reading was something teachers forced us to do. Sure, some kids read for fun, but I wasn't one of them. I had zero desire to spend my free time with my nose in a book when I could be watching movies, rehearsing for a play, going to dance class, or even hanging out with my friends. 

[00:09:33] And when I did have to read, I cut as many corners as possible. An older friend once taught me a shortcut for skimming textbooks. Reading the first and last sentence of a paragraph and then scanning for key points in between. I used that trick constantly. Then of course there were cliff notes. My best friend when it came to language arts assignments. And in a pinch, scouring the internet for whatever details or summaries I could find, was good enough for me.

[00:09:53] I hated reading, and honestly, I didn't see the point. If only I'd realized then how much not reading for fun would impact me, I might have done something sooner to change how I felt about reading. But at the time, I didn't have anyone in my corner pushing me to see how important it really was. 

[00:10:06] Now, I don't want to throw my parents under the bus, but they'd sort of just accepted that I hated reading. And since I was still managing to get good grades, I figure they decided it wasn't really worth the fuss or the battles to push me to read for fun at home. The reality was I couldn't see what role reading was ever going to play in my adult life. It felt a lot like geometry, one of those things we were forced to learn but never actually use. And I shudder to think what would have happened if AI had been around back then. The lengths I would have gone to avoid reading? Yikes. 

[00:10:31] And even when I hit college, working towards my degree in Elementary Education, I still didn't see the value in reading beyond school. Sure, I knew I'd have to read books to prepare lesson plans for my future students and I loved creating activities and assignments to go along with them. But reading itself? Still just a means to an end. 

[00:10:47] But I did start to realize how much I struggled with reading efficiently. In college, I had to re-read things multiple times to fully process them. And I was working twice as hard as my peers to get through the same amount of material. And yet, I didn't think of it as a problem. I just accepted that reading took me longer and did my best to keep up. 

[00:11:03] For those of you wondering, life had other plans. I never ended up using my degree in classroom setting. Instead, after graduating, I found myself working as an administrative assistant, and you'd be shocked at how much my education background transferred over into that setting. Honestly, managing an entire department felt a lot like running a classroom full of very large students. I had to teach them how to use programs they weren't familiar with. Word, PowerPoint, Excel. All the things I'd been trained to use to incorporate technology into lesson plans. 

[00:11:28] But here's where the irony really sets in. Much of my day was spent reading and writing. Emails, reports, meeting notes, editing presentations. It was endless. I'd spent years avoiding reading whenever I could, and now I couldn't escape it. And to make matters worse, I didn't have the strongest grasp of grammar as a result of all my putting off reading. It was a rude awakening for me. Thankfully, my tech skills gave me a slight advantage over my co-workers, but many of them were better writers and editors than I ever was. I relied heavily on spellcheck and grammar tools, and while I got by just fine, I didn't do that part of my job with the same confidence as my co-workers. I still didn't fully connect the dots. I didn't think, wow, maybe I should have read more as a kid. This would be so much easier. 

[00:12:06] After long days of work and battling migraines, the last thing I wanted to do was pick up a book. I wanted instant gratification, something quick and effortless, like watching TV or a movie. Sound like your kid? Reading felt like work, and because I'd spent years avoiding it, I had zero internal motivation to push past that feeling. At that point in my life, I didn't even realize what I was missing. I still believed that reading had no impact on my future.

[00:12:27] It wasn't until years later when I lost my job and not long after found out I was pregnant with JD that things started to shift. Suddenly I had a lot of time on my hands. I spent those early months binge watching TVs and movies, but eventually I hit a wall. I'd watched so much that for the first time in my life I was actually getting bored of it. That's when I picked up a book. 

[00:12:44] Now at first, I wasn't reading because I missed books. I was reading because I needed something to do, but then something surprising happened. I actually started enjoying it. I'd seen the first three "Hunger Games" movies, and while I'd never been the type of person to say, oh, I should read the book first, I decided to give it a try.

[00:12:58] Reading books where I already knew the characters and the world that they came from, made it so much easier to stay engaged. Instead of struggling to visualize everything, the movie played on in my head while I filled in the details that the books provided. One book turned to three, and before I knew it, I'd read the entire series. Then I went to see the fourth movie when it released in theaters not long after JD was born. And as much as I hated to admit it at the time, I loved the book. All three in fact, even more than the movies. 

[00:13:22] Then something even crazier happened. I wanted to keep going. So I got online and I started searching for books similar to "The Hunger Games" and found the "Divergent" Series, which was perfect timing because the third movie was about to release in March of 2016.

[00:13:34] At this point, I was spending long nights awake with JD, he refused to sleep anywhere except on my chest, which meant I had a lot of downtime. But I couldn't really watch TV without waking him up. Reading became my solution. It was quiet, it gave me something to focus on, and unlike my phone, it actually held my attention without overstimulating me.

[00:13:51] For the first time in my life, reading was filling a need that TV, movies, or even social media couldn't, and as a sleep deprived mom, that was exactly what I needed. For the first time in decades, I wasn't just reading to pass time. I was genuinely invested in the stories. 

[00:14:05] But the real shift still hadn't quite happened yet, until I started to see how books were affecting JD. We realized early on that reading was the magic key to his sleep routine. I began reading consistently to him when he was about two months old, and it didn't take long to notice that the more I made books part of his wind down routine, the easier it was to get him to go to sleep.

[00:14:22] We read the same few books over and over, and he'd start to recognize the routine. His body would settle, his eyes would get heavy, and slowly but surely we realized reading was our secret weapon for better sleep. We also knew that getting him transitioned from still sleeping on my chest at five months to sleeping in his crib was going to heavily rely on books and keeping his routine as similar as possible. So we leaned into reading. Hard. And after a really tough week filled with lots of reading, we'd done it. He was finally sleeping in his crib, and that's when it hit me. If reading was this powerful for him as an infant, what would it mean for his future? I started thinking ahead. What kind of relationship did I want him to have with books? 

[00:14:58] I didn't want him to follow in my reading journey footsteps, seeing books as an enemy, a cruel torture device keeping him from things he actually enjoyed. I wanted him to love books. I didn't want to see him struggle like I had. , And that's what I knew. It had to start with me. If I wanted him to grow up seeing books as something fun, something that had value, I had to set the example. That was enough to keep me pushing forward, to keep me reading, to keep making it part of our daily lives, and to not let it fade away like all those other times had before for me.

[00:15:24] Once I made the connection between books and JD's sleep routine, there was no turning back. Reading had become part of our daily lives, and I was determined to keep it that way. But I also knew that if I wanted JD to develop a love of reading, I needed to be intentional about it. I couldn't just grab whatever book was closest. I had to find books that got him engaged. Books that made him excited about story time. Books that made him ask for more. So I started scouring the internet for the coolest, most engaging books I could find. 

[00:15:49] JD was about a year old when I discovered Usborne Books & More, which is now PaperPie, and I became completely obsessed. The books were colorful, interactive, and designed to grab kids’ attention. And the more I learned about them, the more I wanted ALL of them. Of course, that really shouldn't have come as a surprise, considering I remember flipping through the catalog and recognizing old childhood favorites. Books I hadn't thought about in years. But sure enough, they were still tucked away at my dad's house, including "Everyone Poops.". Which let's be real, my parents probably bought for my brother and I during our potty training years. And of course, I ended up using them for my boys when they hit that phase.

[00:16:21] Realizing these books had stood the test of time, I went all in. I didn't want to break the bank building our home library, so I became a book lady. For those of you not familiar with PaperPie, it's a direct sales company similar to Mary Kay, but instead of skincare products, they sell children's books.

[00:16:33] I got started purely for the discount. But the more JD and I couldn't get enough of these books, the more I realized I wanted to help other parents find books that would click with their kids. I knew firsthand how easy it was for reading to become a struggle, and I didn't want other parents to feel lost in that. And the deeper I got into the world of children's literacy, the more I realized this wasn't just about JD anymore. I was learning more about how to make reading fun, how critical early literacy is, and how much of a difference the right books can make. So I kept going. 

[00:17:01] Over the years, I've built a career around helping families making reading engaging. I've studied what works, what doesn't, and most recently I've been working on my official certification as a Reading Coach, because as much as I learned earning my elementary education degree, the Science of Reading wasn't widely taught at the time. But I know now that it's a better approach, and I wanted to fill in those gaps. 

[00:17:19] Somewhere along the way, I became a full-blown learning junkie. I've taken courses on everything from literacy strategies to productivity, decluttering, personal finance, you name it. If it helps me grow as a person, or as a parent, or as a business owner, I want to learn it.

[00:17:31] And now my days revolve around books, which honestly is kind of hilarious considering how much I fought reading for decades. But somehow, here I am, knee-deep in books, literacy, and helping reluctant readers find their way. And if someone like me, who avoided reading at all costs, can fall in love with books, then trust me, it's never too late for your child. Or for you, if you happen to be a reluctant reader yourself. 

[00:17:50] Okay. I know how hard it is to imagine your reluctant reader ever loving books, especially if they've never had a strong connection with reading before. Maybe you've tried everything. Maybe you've built an amazing collection of books at home, made regular trips to the library, even let them pick any book they wanted, and yet they still resist.

[00:18:06] Maybe they roll their eyes, maybe they whine, maybe they flat out refuse to crack open a book, and you start wondering, is this just who they are? Are they never going to love books? Is it just a phase? Should I be worried? Am I doing enough? 

[00:18:20] I get it because I've been there. I've watched JD and Hunter's relationship with reading change over the years. I know how nerve wracking it is when you see your child, who once loved books, start pushing them away. Watching JD as a gifted reader tell me he hated reading, that he found it boring, that hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. Here I was, the book lady, the one who knew how important reading was, the one who'd spent years making reading fun and part of our daily routine, staring down at a kid who wanted nothing to do with books. I could have thrown my hands in the air and said, "Well, I tried. I did my part. He just doesn't like reading." 

[00:18:50] But here's the thing. Reading journeys aren't linear. Kids don't just go from loving books to hating them overnight. And they don't flip back the other way instantly either. There are ups and downs, setbacks and breakthroughs. And just because a child isn't a reader right now, doesn't mean they won't be in the future. 

[00:19:05] Because here's what I know for sure. If I'd had someone fighting to change how I saw reading, doing everything they could to give me those shining moments again and again, I might not have found myself dreading books. I might have gone back to wearing glasses a lot sooner than my senior year of high school, because I actually would have wanted to feel better while reading. Not just because I realized college meant even more reading and I didn't want to be completely miserable with headaches. 

[00:19:25] That's why I didn't give up on JD. Because getting them to see Reading in a New Light isn't about forcing it. It's about offering it, again and again, in different ways, in different moments, until something clicks. So I stayed patient. I took a step back. I got intentional about the books I brought into our home. I let him see me enjoying books, and most importantly, I didn't push. But I also didn't completely let go. It wasn't an overnight fix. It took time and effort, and a lot of trial and error, but little by little, I saw the shift. And now, we're back on track. Every day is another chance to create a positive reading experience for him. And for myself. 

[00:20:00] And if you're in the same place right now, if your child's rolling their eyes, going head-to-head in battle with you every night refusing to read, and really making you wonder if reading will ever be something they enjoy, I want you to know it's possible. You just have to find the right magic to get them there.

[00:20:13] For JD, that magic was the "I Survived" series. We read the one about the Titanic, and for the first time in a long time, I saw that spark again. Now, I should admit, he'd already shown interest in the Titanic before. He'd watched videos about it on Epic, but what really sold him on this book was my excitement for it.

[00:20:29] I really had a thing for Leonardo DiCaprio when I was younger. I already mentioned Romeo and Juliet, but Titanic was another favorite. I've watched countless behind the scenes specials and documentaries and even other movies related to the Titanic, like "The Unsinkable Molly Brown.". So when we picked up the book, I was giddy. And that energy, it was contagious. JD couldn't help but get caught up in the story too. He wanted to talk about what would happen next, about the history, about what it would be like to live through these moments. And you know what? It's been fun being just as invested as him with each book in the series we read. It's amazing how our reading journeys are evolving together, and that's something I'll be able to take with me forever. 

[00:21:05] And while he's still way too young to have me thinking about becoming a grandma someday, it does give me hope to watch him share his love of reading with his kids, and that I'll be able to share my passion with them as well. Okay, now that's enough of the sappy stuff. I'm really not the super emotional type. 

[00:21:20] But here's what I do want you to take away from this episode. Raising a reader isn't about getting it perfect every step of the way. It's about persistence. It's about meeting your child where they are, over and over again, until something clicks. And if they haven't had their moment yet, that doesn't mean they never will. Because I can tell you from personal experience, reading isn't just something you're either destined to love or hate forever. It just takes the right book, the right moment, the right connection. And you never know which experience will be the one to change everything.

[00:21:47] So keep showing up, keep trying, keep sharing stories. And the best part? You don't have to wait decades to watch your kid fall in love with reading. I'm here to help speed up the process. 

[00:21:57] In the next episode, I'm tackling one of the biggest struggles parents face today, balancing screen time with reading. I'll be sharing practical strategies for setting screen time boundaries, how you can use tech to spark interest in books, and creative ways to make reading feel just as engaging as their favorite apps and shows for those screen first kids. If you're tired of battling screens for your child's attention, this episode is for you. Tune in next week to learn how to make tech work for you instead of against you. 

[00:22:21] Looking for more details? There's a full blog post with extra tips and resources for each episode. You'll find the link for this week's episode in the description.

[00:22:28] Thanks so much for tuning into today's episode. If you're loving the Engaging Reluctant Readers podcast, I'd love it if you could leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, so these strategies can be shared to take more kiddos from dread to must-be read. 

[00:22:41] Are you ready to spark some reading inspiration?

[00:22:43] Head on over to bit.ly/RBLBundle to get your free Reading Bucket List Bundle. With 164 inspiring ideas, you can give your child the power to choose where, what, and how they embark on their reading adventures and embrace reading on their own terms. No more pulling teeth, just excitement and a genuine love for stories anytime, anywhere.

[00:23:06] By snagging your bundle, you'll stay in the reading groove and never miss out on upcoming episodes. Until next time, this is Ellen Westbrook wishing you, happy reading!