My daughter has been a voracious reader since birth, but my son – not so much. Joe reads well, but rarely would he pick up a book for pleasure. It wasn’t until I paid more attention to how he learns that I found how to hook my 12-year-old son on reading.
Joe is very social and he learns best when he’s talking about his process with someone else (in multiple intelligences lingo, he’s an Interpersonal learner, or People Smart.) Reading by himself doesn’t interest him much. When he was little I read aloud to him every night, but I made the mistake of stopping this bedtime ritual once he could read well independently. Not surprisingly, his reading dropped off.
Then I was lucky enough to hear Margaret Peterson Haddix speak at a conference. She described her book Found, the first in a series called The Missing. I knew Joe would love the exciting plot. I checked out Found from the library and booktalked it to my son. He seemed interested, and yet it still sat. Then I suggested I read aloud the first chapter to him at bedtime.
Joe and I curled up on his bed to read, and within a few paragraphs, he was hooked on the story. When I put the book down, he immediately picked it up and kept reading. The next night, Joe wanted me to read more, and he couldn’t wait to tell me what he’d read from the point where I’d stopped. Together we’ve flown through the first book and we’re onto book 2, me reading a bit aloud, Joe reading on his own, and Joe filling in the gaps for me.
So this week, rather than recommend a specific picture book, I’m recommending my favorite reading technique. If you have a reluctant reader, try curling up and reading a book aloud to him or her. Make it purely for pleasure. You may find you are both hooked.
Any chance a mama gets to read AND snuggle with her baby/’tween boy is beautiful to behold!
Amen to that, Michelle!
Krispy, like you I stopped reading aloud to my kids once I felt they could read. Recently, my youngest daughter’s teacher recommended her for summer school. After reviewing her grades, I was perplexed why. Her grades were good, test scores were good. She is reading at a 4th grade level. She reads because she has to. We have earned screen time in our house. 30 minutes of reading gets you 15 minutes of screen time. I sought out the advice of a psycho-educational therapist on why my daughter was not comprehending what she was reading. Her 1st thing she asked was do I still read aloud. She advised me that some kids need that read aloud time for various reasons.it gives you the chance to talk about the book together and help her understand what to look for when reading. Helps with vocabulary, comprehension and in general sharing that time together. We will be reading Harry potter this summer.
That should say Krissy, not Krispy! Darn auto correct 🙂
Little cousin, I thought you were breaking out the old nicknames! Thanks for the giggle!
Jenn, your educational therapist was spot-on. Listening to someone reading aloud fluently does so much to increase comprehension, build vocabulary, and add enjoyment to sharing books. Let me know how your youngest likes hearing Harry Potter. Jim Dale is the narrator for Rowling’s audiobooks, and he is brilliant, but there’s also something to be said for snuggling up and hearing someone you love read the book aloud, too.
Great idea, Kris. Understanding how a child learns is key. My younger son is dyslexic, and reading has always been a chore for him. When he was in middle school, I used to read his social studies textbook to him. He is great at learning by listening. This has helped him with his career in music. Even today, while he can and does read his college texts, he prefers to listen to audiobooks rather than read.
Ann, I am so glad you brought up the value of audiobooks. Listening to audiobooks is considered “cheating” by some, but I think it’s an excellent way for many of us to absorb information. I love audiobooks for all types of learners!
So true! Maya reads all the time, but she still goes through slumps. Reading aloud together always gets her going again, especially with a challenging book. We got through The Hobbit the same way that you and Joe read Found.
Kristin, you bring up the good point that reading aloud to kids is a great idea for all kids, even avid readers. I practically read for a living, and I still love hearing my fellow librarians read aloud a good book during storytime. What if the only reading homework kids had, K-12, was to listen to someone (parent or audiobook) read aloud for 20 minutes? Betcha a nickel we’d hook more readers!