As 2025 draws to a close, how many books did your child read this year? 5? 20? Or, like many parents… no idea?

Helping your child track their reading is an important way parents can motivate young readers, strengthen their literacy skills, and stay involved in their children’s education. Apps like Fable and Goodreads are powerful tools that make tracking reading easy.

Make Reading Feel Like an Achievement

Kids love to see their progress, and reading trackers make that progress visible. Apps allow users to log every book they read and set personal reading goals. For young readers, watching those numbers grow can be a huge confidence boost! Children begin to see themselves as readers, not just because a teacher or parent tells them so, but because they can literally see the evidence.

Many trackers include badges, milestones, or streak features. Whether it’s celebrating five books in a month or hitting a weekly reading goal, small wins can be motivating, especially for the reluctant reader.  

Help Kids Discover New Books (That They’ll Actually Want to Read!)

One of the biggest challenges for parents is matching kids with books that will truly interest them. Reading trackers help solve this problem by offering personalized recommendations based on what the child has already read and enjoyed.

On Goodreads, for example, kids can browse curated lists, read short book summaries, and explore reviews written by other readers. Fable offers similar discovery tools and kids can quickly find books that match their current interests… whether that’s mystery and adventure stories like The Hardy Boys, animal books like the Animal Ark series, or short chapter books for emerging readers like Cam Jansen or The Magic Treehouse series.

This ability to “shop” for exciting new titles independently is empowering for kids of all ages, which leads to more enthusiasm and more time spent reading.

Read “How to Find Just the Right Books that Will Inspire Your Child to Read!” for even more suggestions.

Encourage Reflection and Reading Comprehension

A simple but powerful feature of reading trackers is the ability to leave comments, notes, or reviews about each book. For kids, this is a natural way to practice:

• Summarizing
• Expressing opinions on plot or characters
• Thinking critically about stories
• Making connections between different books or authors

These are all critical literacy skills that support classroom learning. And because writing about a book in a tracker feels informal and fun (unlike the dreaded “book report), children are more likely to reflect honestly and creatively.

Parents can also look at these notes to better understand what their child is thinking while reading, what subjects they enjoy most, and where they might need additional support.

Promote Independence

Reading trackers shift ownership of reading progress from adults to kids. Instead of being told how much to read, tracking apps help children take responsibility… from logging their progress to working toward their weekly, monthly or yearly reading goals. Independence helps build lifelong reading habits.

For busy families, apps also provide a centralized place to keep track of reading without relying on paper logs. Parents can check in easily, anytime, and stay engaged without hovering.

Make Reading More Social

Many reading trackers include gentle social features that allow kids to share what they’re reading, follow friends, or join book discussions. These optional elements can make reading feel like a shared activity rather than a solitary one.

For reluctant readers, seeing what friends or siblings are reading can spark new interests or stretch reading proficiency. For enthusiastic readers, this “network” provides a way to share their excitement about a new book or series.

In today’s digital world, reading tracking apps help kids build a relationship with reading that is personal and empowering. That’s something worth tracking! For additional suggestions, visit the 21 Best Book Tracking Apps and Websites.

About Success Won’t Wait

Founded in 2002, Success Won’t Wait is a not-for-profit literacy organization based in Wilmington, Delaware focused on providing book access to those who need it most.

Want to learn more about Success Won’t Wait’s literacy projects, how to donate used books in Delaware, or volunteer your time? Click on the About Us tab to learn more.