According to statistics on children reading for fun by Pew Research, the number of American 9- and 13-year-olds who said they read for fun on an almost daily basis have dropped from nearly a decade ago. Among 9-year-old students, around 42% read for fun almost every day, while only 17% of 13-year-olds said they read for fun almost every day. In fact, these numbers are recorded to be the lowest since the question was first asked in 1984. Notably, the survey was conducted before the COVID-19 outbreak, so it’s unclear whether the pandemic may have changed these patterns.

Reading for fun is a key practice to improve communication skills. Much like public speaking, which we discussed in our post called ‘Public Speaking for Kids: Why is it Important & How to Develop’, reading can similarly build up a child’s vocabulary and help them learn to put thoughts or ideas into words. Through a command of language and empathy, reading can also boost leadership skills in children. Here are three ways you can encourage future leaders to read more:

Connect books to real-life

Books can increase our sense of empathy. Although we tend to think of readers as introverts who prefer to stay at home and ignore the world around them, reading extensively can actually grow your people-skills. A study on developing child empathy published in the Journal of Research in Childhood Education found that reading bullying-themed picture books and doing role-play can increase empathy towards bullying victims. Students in the research project were also able to offer ideas and actions to solve bullying issues.

Reading helps develop strong leaders because it gives us a chance to walk in other people’s shoes and understand their motivations. Studying human nature through poetry or fiction helps you relate to the people you work with, so you can make more thoughtful decisions. To build empathy, choose reading materials that connect with what’s happening to your child in the present. For instance, you can check out relevant books if your child is asking about community issues or is undergoing a specific problem.

Set the right example

Parents who read are more likely to instill the same habits in their children. As noted by insights on leading by example from LHH, leaders (and parents) who can admit they don’t know everything are not only truthful and transparent, but also help build a culture where others are encouraged to learn as well. It’s so important for children to see that adults don’t know everything, but still maintain a learn-it-all approach to life so they demonstrate confidence amid uncertainty. This will align your kids with the right mindset to be a future team-leader who can learn from and delegate responsibility to more knowledgeable colleagues.

Show your children the value of reading by designating an hour during the weekend where everyone at home picks up a book. You can even visit the library as a family to borrow reading materials — just be sure to choose something for yourself. By making books an accessible, fun part of daily life, your children can grow into lifelong learners.

Help children dive deeper

Research on critical thinking and reading exposure by Helena Hollis presents a finding that reading fiction is associated with a higher critical-thinking disposition and decreased absolutism; this means that fiction readers are more likely to ask questions about the world, rather than accepting absolute principles in political, philosophical, ethical, or theological matters. Leaders, after all, should be flexible when it comes to problem-solving. Reading helps not only to acquire information, but also to sharpen analysis and judgment.

Even with incomplete information and limited time, reading allows leaders to sharpen their intuition towards patterns in a problem and piece a solution together. Encourage this critical-thinking process with your kids by asking them to engage deeply in stories. Ask them questions about the characters’ thoughts, actions, or feelings. Beyond looking at surface-level morals on the right behavior, let children apply what they learn from books to daily life.