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"If you're gonna do one thing for your kids,
teach them to read."
Rick Riordan
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Rick Riordan was 12 or 13, James Patterson was 19, Diane Rehm was 21, and The Dad was 28, at these "late ages" each finally found their way to book love.
Sadly, these wonderful people would have been considered reluctant readers in elementary school. Fortunately all went on to become ravenous readers.
What made it happen? Was it worth the wait? How do we help the reluctant readers in our lives fall in love with reading?
"For many years we had 6 to 7 o'clock, that was our reading time," Rick Riordan explains. "I don't care what you're reading, but you're reading. I'm reading too, because if the parents say they're too busy to read, well, of course the kids are going to feel the same way."
According to Rick if you want a child in your life to read it's all about what you do, not what you say.
We agree, The Four of Us read whenever we have a moment and make certain there are tons of books to choose from because, as James Patterson explains, one of the keys to getting kids to read is "freedom of choice."
The Big Sister believes that any child would like to read, "they just have to find the right book, it may be a comic book, but that is a start!" The Little Sister adds, "Calvin and Hobbes is great book to read!"
Go on an adventure with your reluctant reader: together visit the library. Make sure you have time to wander and discover. And make sure you take turns, let your child watch you try to find a good book. And don't be afraid to ask for help, find a librarian, ask them how to go on a library treasure hunt. Then schedule your library adventures regularly, mark them on the calendar and plan accordingly.
Whatever you do the first step is simple: grab a book and start reading!
(Originally published 2011)
Rick Riordan was 12 or 13, James Patterson was 19, Diane Rehm was 21, and The Dad was 28, at these "late ages" each finally found their way to book love.
Sadly, these wonderful people would have been considered reluctant readers in elementary school. Fortunately all went on to become ravenous readers.
What made it happen? Was it worth the wait? How do we help the reluctant readers in our lives fall in love with reading?
"For many years we had 6 to 7 o'clock, that was our reading time," Rick Riordan explains. "I don't care what you're reading, but you're reading. I'm reading too, because if the parents say they're too busy to read, well, of course the kids are going to feel the same way."
According to Rick if you want a child in your life to read it's all about what you do, not what you say.
We agree, The Four of Us read whenever we have a moment and make certain there are tons of books to choose from because, as James Patterson explains, one of the keys to getting kids to read is "freedom of choice."
The Big Sister believes that any child would like to read, "they just have to find the right book, it may be a comic book, but that is a start!" The Little Sister adds, "Calvin and Hobbes is great book to read!"
Go on an adventure with your reluctant reader: together visit the library. Make sure you have time to wander and discover. And make sure you take turns, let your child watch you try to find a good book. And don't be afraid to ask for help, find a librarian, ask them how to go on a library treasure hunt. Then schedule your library adventures regularly, mark them on the calendar and plan accordingly.
Whatever you do the first step is simple: grab a book and start reading!
(Originally published 2011)
I am a huge believer in the fact that reluctant readers should not be given up on. It took me to the end of middle school (about 12 or so) to discover my love for reading. One of my cousins didn't start until she was 14. And my best friend's little sister had not read a single book until she was 17. Now, she reads more than I do.
ReplyDeleteI feel that a reluctant reader just hasn't figured out what they enjoy to read yet. they may view it as though they do not like to read...ANYTHING, but I feel they just haven't liked anything they have tried/ has been forced upon them. Always exposing them to new and different things really is the key. Plus, revisiting things they may not have given a real chance to before.
Some reluctant readers are busy exploring their physical world a bit more deeply. For those kids, I hand them books with diagrams of machines they've mentioned tinkering on, Spyology, Camping Out!, specific animals, fishing, cookbooks, how to draw books, etc.
ReplyDeleteMany of these kids LOVE books abouth Sasquatch, UFOs,unsolved mysteries,the more lurid the better.
Learning to read:
Anything by Dav Pilkey, Denys Cazet
Quick Chapter Books:
Geronimo Stilton series
Comic books (not nec. graphic novels), Garfield, Frazz, Far Side, Super heroes, Bionicles,Zits, as well as Calvin and Hobbes.
Later elementary:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney