Encouraging a Child to Read

Fluency in reading is important to success in all school subjects. So what do you do if your child doesn’t like to read? If he will only do the minimum required to get through his homework? With a little creativity, you can help your child enjoy his reading more, and spend more time doing it.

Make it fun. Purchase or borrow a stack of ‘‘fun’ books. Choose books that will be relatively easy for your child to read. In other words, select those books that are slightly below his level of reading ability. Choose topics based on your child’s’ interests; baseball, horses, sleepover parties, dinosaurs. Pick a mystery, a joke book, and books about movie stars or athletes, even comic books. Don’t comment about the books; simply leave them lying on a table, where your child is sure to see them. To become a great reader, a child needs lots of practice. If you can find the types of books your child will be interested in reading, he’ll get the pure practice he needs to make other, more complex, reading easier.

Let him browse the library. Go at a time when you are not rushed so that he has time to explore. Allow your child to get his own library card. Take him to the library and teach him how to use the computers and the wide variety of resources available.

Pick the right computer games. Take advantage of your child’s love of computer games to purchase those that require a lot of reading to play the game. Avoid those that are simply computerized video games.

Encourage bed time reading. Buy your child a bedside reading lamp or a tiny book light. Tell him from now on, he must be in bed by a specific time (say 8:00 p.m.) and that he can either sleep or read. Most children will do anything rather than go to sleep so there is a chance you may create anew bedtime reading habit.

Have reading material available. Many children will read when they are sitting alone having a snack, or if they have a few minutes of unplanned time. Put a box of books and magazines near the kitchen table, so that reading material is accessible. Take books in the car and to doctor’s appointments.

Read to your  child. Often, once children learn to read independently, parents stop reading to them. This change of routine can be disappointing to a child who has come to love falling asleep as you read. Older children n enjoy being read to if you pick books that pique their interest. Select books together and make sure you pick ones you enjoy as well, so your enjoyment will come through as you read to them.

Check it out. Some children don’t like to read because they have poor eyesight or an undetected learning disability. Look for signs that there is a problem. Does your child rub his eyes after reading? Complain of a headache? Become easily frustrated or angry while trying to read? If you notice any of these problems, make an appointment with your pediatrician to have your child’s health check out, or with an optometrist fro a complete eye exam.

Excerpted from Perfect Parenting, the Dictionary of 1,000 Tips by Elizabeth Pantley