1) Set aside time to read at
least 4-5 times a week. Yes…this will be a struggle since they’re
going to buck you. Be consistent… this should be a non-negotiable. These
are the types of kids to set page goals with, not minutes. They
will know every trick in the book to waste time. By setting a page goal
of say… 5-10 pages per day, this gives them some power. When the pages
are read, they are done for the day.
2) Use incentives such as…
·
Trade time for something they love to
do… certain number of pages read translate into minutes to spend watching TV or
playing video games.
·
Or so many books read= a trip to
McDonalds or a park.
·
Or just down and out bribe them…(yes I
went there…) there are some summers I have paid a buck a book that was read
(with guidelines). But some times, desperate times call for desperate
measures.
3) Read WITH your child…he
reads a page, you read a page. (I know at times this will be painful…
just keep reminding yourself… Reading is important, reading is important… and
who knows…maybe you’ll really get into the book!)
4) Have “reading parties” where
every one brings a book and snuggles in a spot to read their book.
Sometimes just snuggling in next to mom or dad is enough motivation to read for
a while.
5) If your struggling reader has a
younger brother or sister, you have just scored big time! Get
them to read to their younger sibling(s).
If you have an older
reader in your home, have them read a picture book. This means
the stories are usually shorter (and less intimidating) and probably at a lower
reading level (which will make them feel successful when they read it).
They get practice reading and the younger sibling gets the benefit of being
read to… also very important!
6) Make sure your struggling
reader is reading books that are interesting to them. Kids will read if they find the
book interesting. Don’t worry about reading “high quality literature”. At
this point, the goal is to get them reading… and the best way to do that is
make sure they are interested in what they read.
7) If the book your
kid is reading (and enjoying) is part of a series, try sticking to the series. A series gives your reader the
same format, the same characters, and often the same setting for several
books. These familiar things will help them understand the story more
quickly.
