Serena Williams on Why Every Child Deserves to Love Reading

Serena Williams, a 23-time tennis Grand Slam singles champion and change-making children’s literacy advocate, shares how reading builds confidence, curiosity, and identity in young learners.

What made you want to become an advocate for children’s literacy and help kids learn to love reading?

The reason I do anything in my life is for my girls. Reading is a space for their curiosity and imagination to flourish, and I believe every child deserves the chance to experience that same sense of discovery, no matter their background.

From your perspective, how can early reading experiences shape the way children come to see themselves as capable or confident learners?

Reading, whether shared or solo, gives children the space to go on a journey. It allows them to walk hand in hand with a character, figure out their words, choices, and world within the safe space of their own minds. They aren’t just reading a story; they’re actively engaging with it and learning to think for themselves.

That kind of early engagement builds confidence over time. It encourages children to ask questions, form ideas, and trust their instincts as learners. It’s the beginning of understanding that their own thoughts and perspectives are valuable.

How can imagination and pretend play during reading help children build confidence and a sense of possibility?

Books let us imagine what we might otherwise think is impossible. There are no limits in a story. Whether a child is reading about a young girl saving the world or a little boy learning something as simple as tying his shoes, those moments teach that anything can be accomplished when you put your mind to it. I love diving into the world of books with my girls, encouraging them to dream big and imagine freely.

When reading feels difficult, what can adults do to help children build resilience instead of avoidance?

The first step is to remove the pressure. Reading should never feel like an obligation. Let your kid put a book down. Olympia starts a story and realizes it’s not for her. I tell her that’s OK and encourage her to try the next one, and the next, until she finds a story that sticks with her. You don’t have to love every book you read.

Our job as adults is to help our little ones explore the stories that excite them, so reading can be a gift instead of a chore.

What role does emotional connection — to characters, shared moments, or stories themselves — play in keeping children engaged with reading over time?

Emotional connection comes from representation, and from representation comes validation. Just like movies, sports, or music, people read books so they can see themselves represented physically, emotionally, or mentally. When a child reads something that makes them think, “They’re like me,” or “That’s what I’m going through,” it grounds the story in their own reality. That connection is what keeps children coming back to stories to better help them understand themselves and the world around them.

How can shared reading strengthen a child’s sense of self-worth and curiosity, especially when they’re still learning to trust their own voice?

Reading can be a bridge to community and connection. Shared reading has become an instrumental part of my routine with Olympia and Adira. It brings us even closer together and helps the stories come to life. Shared reading helps children develop a deeper understanding of the words, and, hopefully, in the end, a deeper sense of curiosity and confidence in their own voices.

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