How do you teach a child to like to read? I'm not even going to push the loving to read thing at this point. I'd be happy if reading a book didn't result in all out war around these parts. I read to him all the time as a toddler and preschooler. He loved hearing the stories. He begged me to read to him every night. In kindergarten, reading began to be "un-fun" to him. Now, Rotten1 down right hates reading no matter how you put it to him. It doesn't matter what it is or why he's reading. He hates reading. *sigh*
He's read 5 chapters of a book that's about kids for school. He couldn't tell me the two main characters names 5 minutes after he finished Chapter 5. WTF am I going to do?
9 comments:
I would be happy to speak with the Literacy Teacher at my kids' school. She has loads of stuff for just this occasion. Perhaps your kids' school has someone similar?
It may interest you to know that boys like different types of books than girls. By and large, girls will prefer storybooks and boys will prefer factual books, maybe with titles like "At the Construction Site" or "Bugs".
How about a comic book? Popular Mechanics for Kids?
It's possible that he has a comprehension problem.
Ugh, I went through this with my son. Same thing. I made him read Moby Dick last summer and about half way in I started asking questions...he didn't know who Moby Dick was!
I don't think you can "make" him like it, but you *can* make him read. Maybe offer incentives for getting answers about the book, right?
Good luck. It's still a fight here, but we force the issue.
The kids' school does have a "Key Room" designed to help with reading and comprehension. He's been a few times, but it's not that he can't read or has problems with comprehension. It's just that he doesn't want to do it. It's becoming more of an issue here lately because the schools around here really push the importance of reading and comprehension. They even have an Accelerated Readers program where they read, take a test and earn points. Every so many points earns them a trip to the store where they can spend their points on small things.
I've taken him to the library and the book store and let him pick out whatever he wants to read. He's all excited about it until it comes time to actually read it. Then he refuses.
*sigh*
Maybe he's just lazy.
Chris hated reading until a teacher gave him an airplane book in 3rd grade. Turns out he loved reading about airplanes (and wouldn't have necessarily picked out the book himself) and then began to read and memorize with excitement. Now? He doesn't like reading. Sigh.
But there's really no way that story helps you. Might just be trial and error of finding something he likes.
Oooh, an idea. Can you have a contest for him to get something he really wants? Like our local Pizza Huts partner with classrooms give a kid a free personal pan coupon for every ten books they read (or something like that). Maybe you could do something similar at home?
Maybe he gets headaches or needs glasses and is afraid to say something? I don't know. :(
OR he could just be rebellious right now.
Books are usually less exciting than TV or video games to kids that age. Also, if the school is really pushing "literacy" perhaps they are pushing too much?
Does he have a pet he can read aloud to? With no adults (or people) around? Dogs especially are very responsive to someone who gets down on the floor and 'reads' to them, and they are never judgemental. Maybe he can read the dog to sleep every night.
I saw this the other day, and I have been thinking.
Is Rotten 1 the one who was having some troubles earlier (i.e. dyslexia)? I thought it was him, but now I can't remember.
Do you think it has something more to do with confidence?
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