What is the best way for parents to encourage a reluctant reader?

1. 92

   VirginiaLynneposted 11 years ago

   What is the best way for parents to encourage a reluctant reader?
   
   My husband and I and older children are all great readers but my youngest doesn't like to read as much.  What are some ways to encourage a child to read?  She is third grade and does read at grade level or above. I'd love any hints and suggestions!
   
   

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2. 84

   sallybeaposted 11 years ago

   Let them read things you they know they will enjoy - even if the books are comic books. Just getting them used to reading something, is important!
   Spending time in the library with them, this is a great way for children to explore books - they get to hang out with other children there too and can sometimes enjoying having books read to them.  A week ago in a local library I saw young children enjoying singing with adults too.   It was brilliant.

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   1. 71

      dashingscorpioposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great advice. This is what I was going to say for the most part. Everyone has a subject or topic they (enjoy) reading. Once reading becomes a "habit" it can be transitioned to include other topics. The initial goal is to improve their reading level.

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3. 0

   Thundermamaposted 11 years ago

   I think a desire to read will come when she finds a topic that motivates her. family trips to the library are always a good idea and trying to tap into a book series that she enjoys will get the ball rolling. having her read a book to you or one of her older siblings nightly could also work. Grade three may still be young to get the avid reader ball rolling. My oldest is now a voracious reader, but that didn't happen until she turned 12 and discovered the "fantasy,' genre. Give it time and continue to sharee your love of reading with her.

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4. 61

   duffsmomposted 11 years ago

   Read a fun book together and act out the parts.  Read with accents and funny voices, do a few paragraphs, then it is her turn to do a paragraph.  I know not every child enjoys reading but reading together might do it.
   
   As long as she reads at grade level, I wouldn't worry too much. My grown daughters are avid readers, but both went through stages as kids where they didn't want to read.  It worried me to death but it came out all right.

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5. 94

   Glimmer Twin Fanposted 11 years ago

   My daughter can be like this.  We have found she loves certain types of books, like "fact" books, like the guiness book of world record or things like that or humor.  We have gotten her many of these and she loves them.  When we find something she seems really interested in we will pick up a few in that series and hope that she reads them.  It has seemed to encourage her more.  I don't try to force her to read a certain type of book because it turns her off.  Sometimes, we just have her read game instructions or recipes...things like that.  It's tough because I'll read almost anything, but I have hope because every once in a while (very rarely) she'll find a book that she loves and reads it in 1 or 2 days.

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6. 0

   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   Read to them and read often. They will get the enjoyment out of the stories and then decide they can do the same for themselves.

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7. 71

   GiblinGirlposted 11 years ago

   When I was younger my mom actually instituted a rule that we had to read the same number of hours that we watched television.  So if we wanted to watch an hour a day we had to somehow fit in seven hours of reading during that week.  It definitely motivated me to read - I usually had a reserve of about 10 hours I could dip into if I needed.

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8. 66

   Annie Millerposted 11 years ago

   I agree that enjoyment of reading may take time.
   
   We had mandatory weekly trips to the school library with a follow-up book report on whatever book we checked out. I hated to read ... until third grade when I discovered  mythology. I was hooked.
   
   My son was in junior high before he 'discovered' Stephen King. He is now an avid reader.

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9. 82

   peachpurpleposted 11 years ago

   my younger son doesn't like to read when he was 3 years old. Then, i chose books with big pictures and single words, read to him everyday. Besides that, i used flash cards to teach him to read. Once, he knows the tactic to use phonics, he automatically knows how to read peter and jane book 1,2,3 and 4 at age 5. Now at age 6, he reads my SMS ! Sometimes, books with small text are too boring and hard to concentrate. Change to big text and lots of pictures to attract yr kids attention.

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10. 57

    abbykorinneleeposted 11 years ago

    Honestly?  I couldn't figure that one out so what we did is every two chapters he reads he earns Xbox 360 now...he found he likes the first book he is reading and it seems to have changed his beahvior a little too.  We made it a choice in a way but to him he has to do or he won't get extra time on the video games

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