If each shiny, silver strand on my head had a name there’d be several named Reading Battles. I never imagined I’d struggle with my own kid to read.
I have a Bachelor’s with an English major and a minor in Elementary Studies. I taught 3rd grade for 8 years and have countless other classroom experiences. Apparently, my 8-year-old doesn’t care what’s on my resume. I could teach the heck out of a classroom full of other people’s children including teaching them to read, but not my own!
There are lots of ideas about how to learn letters and sounds. But actually making reading a regular habit isn’t as easy to come by.
These ideas aren’t bringing me beautiful ocean serenades when my son opens a book but it has given me some hope. So, from one silver-glittered-strand momma to another, here is my list of tips to survive nightly reading. {By the way, I’m jealous of any of you with I love to read children, but wouldn’t trade my kid because I do know for sure, they ALL have something!}
Ooh, and if some of this sounds familiar..you may have seen me on ABC 12 First at 4 with Dawn Jones and a fellow #MidMiMB Contributor, talking about just this topic. Monday Moms airs bi-monthly on Monday at 4:45. Check it out!
Set a timer! Let your kid pick out an annoying egg timer, tell Siri or Alexa to “set a timer for 15 mins” or the microwave will do the job. It helps children to know what they are up against and when they can stop asking “Can I be done now?”
Have everyone read! Probably my most favorite tip. Even my husband’s reading for the first time ever. My preschooler flips pages on her own and I’m showing up to the Bible study with the chapter pre-read! Hashtag miracle?!
Use technology! Just don’t tell your childless great aunt because she will think it’s ridiculous. But, hey, a mommas gotta do what a mommas gotta do. The Epic app is cool. The first month is free then it’s around $8/month. It’s like the Netflix of books. Osmo is a nifty game {look for a used set} Libraries have online access to books, too.
Go to the library! Each child can have their own library card and get to pick out his/her own books.
Read to the dog! If my kids get some say in the reading environment, my son will read to the puppy but my daughter likes being set up with stuffed animals in a cozy spot.
Don’t correct them! This is similar to not saying, “Sound it out.” If they read out loud to you, you don’t have to correct them when they make a mistake. You can just give them the word or say “make it up”. If they pick a word that makes sense – perfect! – or tell them to skip it. They will read the context of the sentence and might go back and fix it. Don’t stress about one word in a whole sentence. Think big picture.
Use animal voices! We do read like a tiger on this page, a mouse on this page. Then my son picks how I read a page back and forth.
Read to them! Just giving them new language and listening to you read is quality time and good exposure to language. They might not care that you like reading now, but someday they will remember it’s important to you and it just might be to them, too. But let them have a break. The world doesn’t end because you didn’t meet the week’s reading goal. Of course don’t give in to this every night.
Make a list! Write down every book you and your child read. Set a goal and celebrate his/her progress. It’s motivating and helps visualize they are getting somewhere with a little bit every night.
Don’t give up! Sometimes I get sick of the fight and just avoid it all together. But the fights worth having are the hardest ones. It is very important to have nightly reading in your child’s life. It’s ok to skip here and there but make it a priority and don’t ever make it a punishment!
It does help to have great books on hand. My sister, Kindra, happens to be an Usborne consultant so we are never short on great options.
What tips do you have that could help other mommas, including me, with struggling or reluctant readers?
