Do you have a child that does well in all academic areas of study, but for whatever reason can’t or won’t read? If so, you aren’t alone. Parents and teachers constantly struggle with reluctant readers, and finding ways to get them to want to read.
Some children struggle with reading fluency. If they are reading very slowly, or not able to really put sentences together, that definitely isn’t motivating. You could try having more time for reading aloud. Having parents, or older siblings, read to children helps them hear what they are trying to accomplish with reading fluency. Also, along with reading aloud, you could have your children read along with audio books. Having the words in front of them, while listening to how they are read, would be an excellent learning exercise.
If it’s not reading fluency that is hindering your child’s ability to read, maybe they need to work on their reading vocabulary. Building a strong vocabulary is certainly a big benefit when it comes to reading, but there are so many other areas in life where it’s just as important; writing, critical thinking and verbal expression – just to name a few. There are several ways your child can work on their vocabulary. They play games, both board games and online games. They can use flash cards even a good crossword puzzle can lead to improvement.
Sometimes a child can read but won’t. In this situation, you may want to consider letting them chose what to read. If they like comic books, give them a stack. If they like playing video games, have them read the game guides to their favorite games. If they enjoy cooking, have them thumb through recipe books and cooking magazines. If your goal is to jump start their desire to read, then forcing them to read something they don’t enjoy may not work.
One last note; be patient. I discovered with my past students that the more I pushed, the more he/they rebelled. I got to a point where I realized that I needed to back off a little…for his sake and for my own. I started letting him take the initiative.
By: Olivia B. Lumbre | Teacher II | Orani North Elementary School | Orani, Bataan
