How to Encourage Reluctant Readers to Love Books

Member

By Diane Cass
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating:

(8 Ratings)

Reluctant Readers

It seems that every family has a reluctant reader. Either by lack of interest or due to a learning disability, reading is hard for them. My youngest son has an odd language disability that makes reading difficult, though he has excellent comprehension. He hates having to read a book for himself, as he is very slow at it, but he LOVES being read to, even at 14! Providing an atmosphere in which books are all around and are a normal part of life is the key. Providing the right books for the right stage of life can really help reluctant readers.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Library Card
Good Books
Videos on Children's Stories

Step 1

INVESTIGATE THE REASON: Children can be a reluctant readers for many different reasons. There may an emotional element to why they won't read, it could be developmental delay, it could be a learning disability, or they just might not be interested. How can you tell the difference?
Step 2

Reluctant Readers

ARRANGE A PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE: Partner with your child's teacher. They are just as invested as you are in seeing your child succeed in reading. Compare notes with the teacher about your child's behaviors and attitudes in regards to reading. Together you can come up with a plan. If it doesn't work, meet again and investigate further options, maybe even testing. If an underlying developmental, mental, medical or physical condition is holding them back, the sooner you know the better.
Step 3

Reluctant Readers

INVESTIGATE ATTITUDES OF SHYNESS - A child that loves books and loves being read to but won't read aloud may just be shy. Some children lack the confidence to read aloud, usually due to fear of being wrong. They may just be naturally shy and don't like the attention, they may be a perfectionist, or there may be more serious emotional issues to look into like if the child is being bullied. THE CURE: provide a safe, encouraging venue for the child to read in. Let them know something specific that they did RIGHT, like, "You read that really hard word, good job", or "I like the sound you made when the wolf talked".
Step 4

Reluctant Readers

UNCOVER ATTITUDES OF INDIFFERENCE - A child that is indifferent to whether or not he reads a book often just hasn't had the right book presented to him. Boys, especially, tend to fall into this category. If it doesn't blow up or bleed, they aren't interested (I raised two boys who love books, but still prefer that they came with swords). THE CURE: Find books on their specific area of interest. They will often devour books on how to play their sports better, biographies of their heroes or the history of their games.
Step 5

Reluctant Readers

OBSERVE HOW THE CHILD READS: "READING" THE PICTURES" - If your child is getting the content of the story from the pictures, not the words, you need to investigate what this means. THE CURE: It could just mean that your child is a visual learner and they just need to be encouraged to read the words too. It could be something more serious though, like a hearing problem, a sight problem, or a learning disorder like Dyslexia. Have your school do the proper testing and get your child's eyes checked by an Optometrist. School eye tests often don't catch far-sightedness.
Step 6

IDENTIFY UNDERLYING BEHAVIORS: STUBBORN UNWILLINGNESS - You may just have a strong-willed child on your hands, but even these kids usually like to participate in what is going on. This kind of staunch unwillingness usually is an indication that the child is struggling with something and doesn't know how to voice their difficulty. Get the child tested to determine what the problem might be and to create a plan of action to help any problem that is uncovered.
Step 7

Reluctant Readers

ENGAGE IN EARLY INTERVENTION: is CRUCIAL in helping a child with some sort of challenge in reading. They are forming language in their early years and inaction can severely impact their academics for the rest of their lives. If you think there may be a problem, contact your school and INSIST on an evaluation. Most States have laws that require a school to provide this service, if the parents ask for it.