by Louise Baigelman
Developing a love of reading can help grade-schoolers build and reinforce their reading skills. Enthusiasm can help kids with learning and attention issues overcome reading challenges. Use these tips to encourage your child to read.
Read it again and again.
Encourage your child to re-read his favorites. If he wants to take the same book out of the library for the 100th time, that’s just fine. Re-reading can help him build speed and accuracy. For children with learning and attention issues, re-reading books they’re already familiar with can help build confidence. Plus, re-reading books at home with a loved one helps them experience feelings of success in a friendly and low-risk environment.
Make reading real.
Connect what your child reads with what happens in his life. For example, if he’s reading a story about a penguin learning to swim, ask him about the most recent time he dipped his toe in a pool. Look for follow-up activities that can make stories come to life. If he’s reading a book in which there are kites, ask your child to brainstorm book-related activities he might enjoy such as making or flying a kite. Hands-on activities can keep him engaged with the topic.
Don’t leave home without something to read.
Bring along a kid-friendly book or magazine any time you know your child will have to wait in a doctor’s office, at the DMV or anywhere else. Stories can help keep your child occupied, and the experience will also show him that you can always fit in time to read!
Dig deeper into the story.
Help your child engage with a story he’s read or one you’re reading to him. Ask him questions about the characters’ thoughts, actions or feelings: “Why does Jack think it’s a good idea to buy the magic beans? How does his mother feel after she finds out?” Encourage your child to connect the story to his own thoughts and actions.
Encourage reading as a free-time activity.
Try to avoid presenting TV as a reward and reading as a punishment. Instead, looks for ways to highlight the different kinds of enjoyment you get from TV shows and from books or magazines. And be sure to set a good example for your child by spending some of your free time reading instead of watching TV—and by explaining why you did.
Be patient.
When your child is trying to sound out an unfamiliar word, let him have the time he needs to do it. Praise his efforts. Treat mistakes not as failure, but as an opportunity for improvement. For example, if he misreads listen as list, re-read the sentence together and ask him which word makes more sense. Point out the similarities between the two words and the importance of noticing the final syllable. Your patience can help him see mistakes as learning experiences, not reasons to give up.
Pick books at the right level.
Help your child find books that aren’t too difficult or too easy. The aim is to give him lots of successful reading experiences at the level that is just right for him. Check to be sure your choices work by having your child read a few pages to you, and then ask him about what he’s read. If he struggles with reading the words or retelling the story, encourage him to pick a different book.