Reading beyond books: fun options for kids and parents

Reading is not restricted to books. Magazines, children’s newspapers, comics, manuals, catalogs, poetry, travel brochures, encyclopedias, play scripts and even road signs all exercise the same reading muscles, and for a child who resists books, they are often the way in. The material matters far less than the daily act of reading it.

“Reading brings us unknown friends,” wrote Balzac, and the more we read, the further we can think beyond our boundaries. Every parent wants to instil reading early, but a quiet bias creeps in: the belief that reading means books. The world of reading is much bigger, and some children need the bigger world first.

Ten reading materials that are not books

1. Magazines. Good children’s magazines, print and online, curate content by age and topic, and a subscription arriving regularly builds the reading habit by anticipation. Try National Geographic Kids and the Indian children’s magazines.
2. Newspapers. Regular papers carry plenty that is not kid-friendly, so pick a children’s newspaper (RobinAge, NIE) or hand over a specific section you have already vetted. News reading builds vocabulary that storybooks never touch.
3. Manuals. For the child who wants to know how things work, manuals for cars, appliances and gadgets are surprisingly compelling, and technical vocabulary rides along free.
4. Comics. A classic hook for reluctant readers, and a genuinely good teacher of dialogue’s back-and-forth. Tinkle and Champak have earned their decades.
5. Catalogs. Modern catalogs are more than product lists; wishlist-building teaches concise reading and, quietly, prioritisation.
6. Poetry. Rhyming is a core reading skill, and having children write their own poems builds it from the production side. (Rhyme is phonological awareness in party clothes.)
7. Travel brochures. Dense with facts about places, and the information resurfaces later in your child’s speaking and writing.
8. Encyclopedias. Foundational overviews plus the keywords needed to dig deeper: the original rabbit hole, and a good one.
9. Play scripts. Read a few together, then stage the play. Characters, emotions, plot twists and storytelling, all explored from inside.
10. Road signs. Children recognise familiar signs remarkably early; keep that environmental print alive with sign games on road trips. Billboards count too.

The reluctant reader is rarely reluctant about reading. They are reluctant about the one format they have been offered.

Match the material to the child

Every child learns differently. If yours does not like reading books, the answer is not more pressure on books; it is different material. Some children light up at graphic content, some at comic illustrations and doodles, some at facts and machines. Find what excites them from the list above, and let the reading muscle build there; the books usually follow once reading itself feels good. (When it does, the book ladder is ready.)

And if no format works, if reading itself, in every form, stays effortful and avoided, that pattern deserves attention rather than more variety; the signs of reading difficulty are worth a look.

Dr. V.S. Gayathri is a Certified Dyslexia Therapist, an Orton-Gillingham trained literacy specialist, and the founder of Flourishing Kids. She has delivered over 4,000 hours of one-to-one reading and spelling intervention, helping children across multiple countries build stronger literacy skills. If reading is a battle in every format, get in touch for a free 15-minute conversation.