Show them what they’ll get out of this

4min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

This chapter discusses the importance of teaching children the immediate benefits of reading, rather than pressuring them with the association of intelligence and success. It suggests that appealing to a child's self-interest is key in instilling a love for reading and provides examples of how books can entertain, educate, solve problems, improve oneself, and assist in social situations. The chapter also mentions a brief sponsorship mention for Factor Meals, a meal delivery service.

Most schools and most parents teach reading all wrong. They bully kids into doing it. They pressure them. They tell them, “Reading is what smart and successful people do.” Then they’re surprised when kids who struggled with reading don’t think they’re smart, and they wonder why kids almost wear illiteracy as a badge of honor. They wonder why people say things like, “I haven’t read a book since I was forced to in high school.”

No, the way to teach a kid to read is not to talk about how wonderful literature is and force them to read fancy or pretentious novels. You teach a kid to love books by—as the great lover of books Robert Greene has said—appealing to their self-interest. *Show them what they will get out of books.*Tangibly. Immediately. Show them that quote from Warren Buffet, where he says the single best investment he ever made was buying a copy of Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor.

✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com

📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube