8 Ways Parents Discourage Their Kids from Reading
by Melissa Taylor
Melissa Taylor, MA, is a teacher, mama, and writer from Colorado. Her goal in childhood was to read every book in the children's section of the library. She loves (in no particular order) children's books, her Kindle, Pinterest, and knitting rectangles. An education expert, she’s written for many publications, including Parenting.com, USA Today Health, and Scholastic Parent and Child. Connect with Melissa on her learning blog, Imagination Soup, or on Pinterest.
( read brightly.com )
Unwrapping her Thoughts
Sometimes we unintentionally discourage our kids from reading.
I know. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Here’s what not to do — and why.
1. Having the Wrong Books
If you only have Steinbeck or The New Yorker as reading options, your kids will be discouraged from reading. It’s highly unlikely your children will read unless they have access to books at their reading level and books about things in which they are interested. Get your dog lovers books about dogs and your Lego fans books about Legos.
2. Having Limited Access to Books
Books encourage kids to read. No books = no reading. Borrow lots of books from the library. Not just one or two books — borrow thirty. Flood your house with books. Then leave them in different rooms and piles so they’re easily accessible. (This works. Trust me.)
3. Only Reading Aloud to Our Littles
We sometimes forget that our older kids need us to read aloud to them as well. As you probably already know, research shows that reading aloud to kids is the best thing you can do to improve their literacy skills, not to mention that it motivates them to read on their own. Plus, you’ll get the opportunity to read amazing chapter books that can inspire discussion and bonding.
4. Not Letting Them Choose Their Books
Kids want to read books that they get to pick out themselves. That’s not to say you can’t advise on picking a good book, show them how to pick a just-right book, or even model reading the back cover or jacket flap of a book — but being able to actually choose the book themselves predisposes them to want to read that book. Let kids pick from a selection if that works best for you, but let them be in charge of the final decision. As Maya Angelou said, “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”
5. Offering Nonsense Easy Reader Books
Warning: This is my pet peeve and is somewhat controversial. Okay, here goes … Many early readers are asked to read easy phonics books that are mind-numbingly boring. Boring because these books have no plot thread whatsoever. So the kid sits and strings words together, missing the whole point of reading: the narrative and exposition. Not only that, the child becomes uninterested and frustrated. So try to find easy readers that actually make sense. Tug the Pup and Bob Books are two good book series that have both decodable text and narrative meaning. Climbing off the soapbox now.
6. Making Reading Punitive
If you subscribe to the Love and Logic parenting method, which I generally do, we’re not supposed to punish (“You didn’t read, you don’t get screen time.”) or bribe (“I’ll give you screen time IF you read.”) but rather reward for positive behavior (“Wow, you spent so much time reading, I’d like to treat you to 30 minutes of screen time.”). I think this is hard and tricky and it totally makes my head want to explode, but I bring it up so you can think about it. We don’t want reading to become something dreadful or punitive. We want reading to be lovely and fun and rainbows and unicorns. Consider how you can reward for reading, not punish.
7. Not Reading Yourself
Your kids are watching your every move. Plus they copy you. So they need to see you reading regularly. The experts say this is good modeling. (I use this as my justification for reading all the time, especially when I should be making dinner or doing some other job around the house. Feel free to borrow this most excellent reasoning, too.)
8. Not Having Any Time to Read
If our kids are too scheduled with activities, they’ll have no time to read. I know this makes sense, but it’s something we need to think about carefully. What is your daily schedule like? Do you have time for reading? It’s critical that kids have unscheduled time every day for reading as well as relaxing.
Unwrapping these beginning readers for you
Learn to Read with Tug the Pup and Friends! Box Set 1: Levels Included: A-C (My Very First I Can Read)
By Dr. Julie M. Wood
Illustrated by Sebastien Braun
* Ages: 4-8
* Grade Level: PS-3
*Series: My Very First I Can Read
* Paperback: 132 pages
* Publisher: HarperCollins; Box edition
* Pub. Date: June 24, 2014
Enter into the world of reading with My Very First I Can Read! This comprehensive emergent reading program addresses all the components of reading mastery based on the latest early literacy research.
It includes sight word vocabulary, simple text, strong picture support, and character and plot development.
The eleven short stories in box set one are Guided Reading Levels A–C, which means it's the perfect entry point for new readers, with simple and predictable stories. Each box set also comes with reward stickers and a Parents' Guide that provides hours of additional reading activities. More box sets are available.
Learn to Read with Bob Books and Versatiles - (Kids Ages 3-6) Advancing Beginners Educational Game Set - Level 1 Phonics Reading Books for Children with 12 Bob Books, Answer Case, and Workbook
- Bob books and Versatile provides children with everything they need to start learning to read words at home or school
- Teaching resources include 1 set of 12 Bob books, 1 Versatile answer case, and a 20-page Versatile workbook with 20 hands-on activities
- Reading this foundation set ensures children have mastered Basic phonics before they advance to consonant blends
- Children can practice their reading skills with VersaTiles puzzle-like answer case and workbook that makes reading feel more like a game
- Perfect for teachers or parents teaching preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade (ages 3-6)
- We know fun and kids. hand2mind has been designing educational products for over 50 years!
- Bob Books has inspired reading success for over 40 years
Kickstart your child’s path to reading with Bob books and versatile advancing beginners. This set is perfect for children who know the Alphabet, and introduces 2- and 3- letter phonics words. Alongside these books, Children can practice the skills they are learning by doing versatile activities. This tried and true, puzzle-like practice system creates a hands-on way of reviewing what they are learning in their Bob books. Simply line up the answer case on top of the page in the book, and line the tiles up on top to start. Pick up each tile 1-8 and answer the question underneath it. Once each tile is placed, close the case, Flip it over and see If the pattern matches what is on the bottom right corner of the workbook page. This practice is what helps children to comprehend what they are learning and gives them confidence in their reading abilities. Engage your advanced reader with a fun puzzle-like way to practice reading! Includes: - 12 easy-to-read books (16 pages each) - mostly two and three letter words (c-v-c words) - Can be "sounded out" (Phonics based) - limited sight words - 20 to 30 words per book - 1 versatile answer case - 20-page versatile workbook with 20 hands-on activities.
Available on Amazon.com
#######
Have a beautiful weekend everyone. Thank you for another successful week on Storywraps. I am very appreciative of you visiting me here. Be sure to come back next week and see what's on tap.
Fun fact : Last Tuesday I had 1,127 visitors to my blog that day. Storywraps is the little blog that is sprouting just like my garden outside. Keep coming back and watch it blossom even more.
Follow Storywraps
*Instagram: Storywraps
Email: storywrapsblog@gmail.com
*Facebook: www.facebook.com/Storywraps
*Twitter: Storywraps@Storywraps1
*Pinterest: Storywraps
I put hours of work finding the best kid's books to review for you each day. If you enjoy visiting Storywraps and would like to donate something for my time and effort I would greatly appreciate it.
Go to the top of my blog at the right hand corner (below my photo) and please donate what you feel lead to give. The amount you donate and the frequency you donate is totally up to you.
I also have added a new button... ko-fi.com You can buy me a coffee if you like my review and feel more like hanging out together. It's new, fun, and yes my dear friends, coffee and blogging go together like two peas in a pod. There's always something brewing here on my blog.
I thank you in advance for your support. I adore what I do and would appreciate any amount that you may give so that I can make our Storywraps community more thriving and exciting. Thanks a million! Books bind us together.
Read on...
Read always.
It's a wrap!
💜💜💜
No comments:
Post a Comment