Do you feel like getting your kids to read is similar to pulling teeth? Do they look at you when you ask them to read as if you are torturing them-- giving you an eye roll and maybe a gasp of exasperation? Benefits of Reading Parents (most of us) intuitively know that reading is a gateway to a better life.
Some of the benefits of being a reader include higher test scores, having an easier time in school, the self-esteem that comes with feeling confident in the ability to meet the demands of each day, and a higher earning capacity when they get out of school.
In fact, the more words they read in school the higher their earning ability later in life.
Pitfalls on the way to being a reader We are losing word literacy (the ability to read) to visual or image literacy (seeing and understanding pictures) because we are primarily a visual society-TV, computer games, social networking.
In fact, when writing my blog posts, I have to be careful not to write too many words and to use lots of "helpers" like subject headings, lists and the like because I know we are an impatient nation.
In addition to our addiction to visual technology, we also claim we have no time to read.
Our kids reflect what we think and feel, so if you don't read at home, they aren't really going to be into reading either.
Other detriments to the love of reading include an earlier reading requirement in many schools.
The truth is that some kids aren't ready in Kindergarten or even 1st grade to begin formal reading instruction.
The introduction of reading to these students before they are ready is actually a deterrent to their desire to learn to read later.
If a student isn't ready to read, it will prove much more difficult, and we all know that when we find something is too challenging, it can really affect how we feel about learning and our ability to learn.
In Finland (one of the best educational systems in the world) students don't begin formal reading instruction until they are all cognitively ready-when they are seven.
As if all this isn't enough, we don't really encourage reading as a nation.
By the time a child has begun middle school, the "being smart isn't cool" cultural belief is loud and clear.
Just look at the movies we watch, the TV we view, the role models we follow.
Think about the messages these cultural icons send to our kids.
Strategies to help your child For elementary students: - Show them you read and do it consistently-not just on vacation.
- Take them to the library and check out books together.
- Read aloud to your kids often.
- Don't make them read something they don't want to read!! Their teacher is in charge of that and is trained to guide them through more difficult texts.
Reading for pleasure should be...
a pleasure.
- Use picture books or chapter books with pictures until they are ready to leave them behind.
- Use the 5 finger rule when selecting a book and help your child with the process of book selection.
Have your child read the title, the back cover, and the first full page of the book.
Do they like the story or subject? Are there fewer than five new words on the page? Sounds like a winner.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
You don't have to know their reading level or their lexile score.
Just help them choose something that interests them that isn't too hard or too easy.
If they insist on staying with the "easy" books take that as a sign they aren't comfortable enough with their reading skills to move on.
You don't have to push.
For middle school and high school students: - This is crunch time when their desire or time to read disappears, and they lose ground on the skills they will need to be successful readers in high school, college, and their work.
- The same basic rules apply for secondary students in terms of encouraging them to read but you may need to institute a required "quiet time" -no computers or TV, no entertainment from adults or friends.
- Help them connect with a cool reading series, (there's a billion of them with something for everyone!) and tap into their interests when selecting a book!! If they love sports, then find a book with a sports theme or setting.
- Don't force them to read books beyond their reading level-even if they are eighth graders or twelfth graders! Use the five finger rule suggested in the elementary section.
If you can't find a subject appropriate for your middle school or high school student at the right reading level (because their skills are too low for their grade level) then help them to locate high interest/low reading level books.
Ask your librarian.
Ultimately, the idea is to make reading as much fun as playing on the computer (or at least a close second).
The only way this can be achieved is to get rid of our preconceived notions as parents about what our kids SHOULD be reading and just let them read what they enjoy because, just like exercise, if they enjoy it, they will probably read more often.
The more often they read, the more likely it will become a lifelong habit.
If it becomes something they practice through repetition (not torture), their skills will improve.
Eventually, they might blow your mind and read a classic like Moby Dick all on their own.
But don't push it.
Some of the benefits of being a reader include higher test scores, having an easier time in school, the self-esteem that comes with feeling confident in the ability to meet the demands of each day, and a higher earning capacity when they get out of school.
In fact, the more words they read in school the higher their earning ability later in life.
Pitfalls on the way to being a reader We are losing word literacy (the ability to read) to visual or image literacy (seeing and understanding pictures) because we are primarily a visual society-TV, computer games, social networking.
In fact, when writing my blog posts, I have to be careful not to write too many words and to use lots of "helpers" like subject headings, lists and the like because I know we are an impatient nation.
In addition to our addiction to visual technology, we also claim we have no time to read.
Our kids reflect what we think and feel, so if you don't read at home, they aren't really going to be into reading either.
Other detriments to the love of reading include an earlier reading requirement in many schools.
The truth is that some kids aren't ready in Kindergarten or even 1st grade to begin formal reading instruction.
The introduction of reading to these students before they are ready is actually a deterrent to their desire to learn to read later.
If a student isn't ready to read, it will prove much more difficult, and we all know that when we find something is too challenging, it can really affect how we feel about learning and our ability to learn.
In Finland (one of the best educational systems in the world) students don't begin formal reading instruction until they are all cognitively ready-when they are seven.
As if all this isn't enough, we don't really encourage reading as a nation.
By the time a child has begun middle school, the "being smart isn't cool" cultural belief is loud and clear.
Just look at the movies we watch, the TV we view, the role models we follow.
Think about the messages these cultural icons send to our kids.
Strategies to help your child For elementary students: - Show them you read and do it consistently-not just on vacation.
- Take them to the library and check out books together.
- Read aloud to your kids often.
- Don't make them read something they don't want to read!! Their teacher is in charge of that and is trained to guide them through more difficult texts.
Reading for pleasure should be...
a pleasure.
- Use picture books or chapter books with pictures until they are ready to leave them behind.
- Use the 5 finger rule when selecting a book and help your child with the process of book selection.
Have your child read the title, the back cover, and the first full page of the book.
Do they like the story or subject? Are there fewer than five new words on the page? Sounds like a winner.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
You don't have to know their reading level or their lexile score.
Just help them choose something that interests them that isn't too hard or too easy.
If they insist on staying with the "easy" books take that as a sign they aren't comfortable enough with their reading skills to move on.
You don't have to push.
For middle school and high school students: - This is crunch time when their desire or time to read disappears, and they lose ground on the skills they will need to be successful readers in high school, college, and their work.
- The same basic rules apply for secondary students in terms of encouraging them to read but you may need to institute a required "quiet time" -no computers or TV, no entertainment from adults or friends.
- Help them connect with a cool reading series, (there's a billion of them with something for everyone!) and tap into their interests when selecting a book!! If they love sports, then find a book with a sports theme or setting.
- Don't force them to read books beyond their reading level-even if they are eighth graders or twelfth graders! Use the five finger rule suggested in the elementary section.
If you can't find a subject appropriate for your middle school or high school student at the right reading level (because their skills are too low for their grade level) then help them to locate high interest/low reading level books.
Ask your librarian.
Ultimately, the idea is to make reading as much fun as playing on the computer (or at least a close second).
The only way this can be achieved is to get rid of our preconceived notions as parents about what our kids SHOULD be reading and just let them read what they enjoy because, just like exercise, if they enjoy it, they will probably read more often.
The more often they read, the more likely it will become a lifelong habit.
If it becomes something they practice through repetition (not torture), their skills will improve.
Eventually, they might blow your mind and read a classic like Moby Dick all on their own.
But don't push it.