With so many devices competing for your child’s attention, it is especially hard to convince some children to read. It can be tempting to push a child to read certain materials, however, this creates the risk of taking the joy out of reading, which a child may never get back.
There are a few alternatives to entering into battle over reading at home.
Here are a few things you can try:
Reading classic fiction isn’t for everyone – and it doesn’t have to be! If your child is reluctant to read, it may be that they just haven’t found something that captures their attention yet.
Think about what genre of game, film or T.V. show your child likes and see if you can find a book that is along those lines. Visit your local library to browse the shelves so that your child can pick something out for themselves.
thereaderteacher.com site provides recommendations by genre, with a large section on non-fiction books to delve into.
Although audiobooks won’t help with spelling and punctuation, they can still provide many of the benefits or reading a book. In particular, your child can learn about storytelling, narrative structure, writing techniques (like similes and metaphors), and vocabulary. Even better, hearing words pronounced correctly and with feeling will provide your child with a greater opportunity to deduce a word’s meaning.
With audiobooks, it is often easier to expose your child to books that they would otherwise refuse to read. This makes it easier to introduce classic texts.
The Libby app has a fantastic range of children’s audiobooks, all available for free using your local library card. For an even broader range, try audible.com (audiobooks available on subscription) or head to Gutenberg and Spotify for free readings of the classics.
Adults often assume children don’t want to read out of laziness, however, this overlooks the fact that reading can be much harder for some children than others. Reading requires a complex set of thinking skills, including general knowledge, vocabulary, short-term memory and processing abilities. If a child is lacking in these areas, reading becomes a far more laborious process.
If you suspect that memory or processing skills are holding your child back, try starting them on fish oils (Omegas 3, 6 and 9) which will help with memory, or encourage them to play games that require quick thinking, which will develop their processing abilities.
Try to set aside some time to read as a family. You may choose to sit together and read independently, or you can share the reading by going through a book, newspaper or magazine together.
Having company and seeing you read will encourage your child to do the same and view reading as a pleasurable activity.
Being a reluctant reader doesn’t need to hold back your child’s vocabulary. Wordier’s vocabulary system helps children develop an impressive lexicon regardless of how often they pick up a book.
Start using our engaging approach today by picking up a set of our illustrated 11+ vocabulary flashcards; suitable for ages 8+.
