Help! My Child Doesn’t Want to Read
It is so critical that children get practice reading aloud.
They can hear themselves say a word incorrectly and skip a line and hopefully learn to correct the error.
They can have you nearby to help them along with a difficult word here and there.
But what do you do if your child WILL NOT sit down and read with you?
Ask yourself if you’ve made it a routine.
If you have gotten out of habit of sitting down and listening to your child read, you will get more resistance. If the child knows “this is just the way we do things,” there will be less of a fight. Until you make it a routine, there will likely be some give and take. Choose a special time of day so that it becomes an expected habit.
Ask yourself if the book is too hard.
If your child struggles with too many words per page, the book is too difficult. For example, if the entire page is filled with words (as in, a chapter book), your child should not struggle with more than 2-3 words. Otherwise, it will be laborious to read. The constant stopping for unknown words will affect fluency, comprehension and take the fun out of reading. If you need to change to an easier book for a while, do it. It’s worth it so that your child gets in a better habit and builds confidence.
Compromise.
I remember when my son was adjusting to chapter books that had fewer pictures. This is why he didn’t want to sit and read and dreaded it. I think in some ways he just would rather do other things. True, I should have done better with making it more routine. However, I simply cut him a deal. I told him that for every 3 pages, I’d read two of them and he would read 1. In other words, I’d be reading twice as much as him. That does several things:
—It lets the child know you will carry the heavy load for a while.
—It lets the child listen to the story and become more interested.
—It distracts the child, and sometimes you can get the child to buddy read back and forth (parent 1 page, child 1 page).
There have been times where my oldest was reading a particularly long book with long chapters. After all the time invested I really wanted him to finish the book, but he’d gotten to a boring part. I sat down and just read one chapter or one part of a chapter to help him along. After that, he was good to go!
Enjoy a snack or drink.
When you’re at home, you can read how you want. Grab some tea, coffee, or even a smoothie. Reach for a blanket and read snuggled up on the sofa or even on a blanket outside on a sunny day. Enjoy some popcorn, fruit, or crackers while you read. Adults like their special places and treats for reading. Kids will too!
What ideas have you tried? Leave a comment below.
Do you have any special memories around reading with your child? I’d love to hear them.
Be sure to share with a friend who could use this advice.
Try NEXT STEP READING if your child is struggling with longer words!
Remember, YOU are your child’s most influential teacher.