Max Greenfield on Letting Kids Lead in Reading

Emmy-nominated actor and children’s book author Max Greenfield reflects on how interest, trust, and a relaxed approach can transform a child’s relationship with books.

Why do adults often overlook how deeply children understand humor, subtext, or vulnerability during shared reading?

I think adults underestimate kids because we expect understanding to look adult. Kids might not explain what they’re picking up on, but they absolutely feel it. They understand humor, discomfort, vulnerability, tone — sometimes more instinctively than we do. I think if adults slowed down and trusted that kids are absorbing more than they’re saying, we’d realize they’re tracking way more of the story than we give them credit for.

What family habits matter most for helping kids build safety, curiosity, and agency around books?

I don’t know that there’s one formula. For me, it always comes back to interest. If you hand me a math textbook and say, “This is broken down really clearly,” I still can’t get through three pages — it’s torture. But give me something I actually care about, and suddenly it’s a completely different experience. Kids are the same way. If reading connects to something they’re interested in, it doesn’t feel heavy. It feels like exploration.

How can families create an environment where kids feel safe making mistakes and reading aloud?

A lot of it is about removing the feeling that there’s a right or wrong way to do it. Reading out loud can be incredibly vulnerable, especially for kids. If they feel watched or corrected constantly, they shut down. When mistakes are treated as normal, and not as something that needs immediate fixing, it creates space for kids to relax and actually engage.

With real life being messy and unpredictable, what actually matters in a “successful” reading routine?

Letting go of the idea that it has to look perfect. Kids move at different speeds, and so do adults. Some kids find what they’re into right away, and others take a long time — and both are completely fine. I think we put too much pressure on kids to find their “thing” early. One of the great parts of being a kid is getting to try things, drop things, and come back to things. Reading should fit into that, not compete with it.

How can adults listen more closely to what kids reveal during reading?

Kids say a lot in really small ways. A random comment, a reaction to a character, something they laugh at or push back on — that’s usually where the interesting stuff is. If adults stay curious instead of redirecting or rushing through the story, those moments open up conversations. That’s often when you learn what they’re thinking about or dealing with.

Why is it important to share control of reading time with kids?

Because the second something feels like it’s being done to a kid, they resist it. When kids have some control — choosing what they read, how they read, even when they stop — it feels empowering. Not every kid has found the thing they really connect to yet, and that’s OK. Letting them explore without panic or pressure creates space for that connection to happen naturally.

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