If your child is a reluctant reader, here are some suggestions:
- Read together. Inexperienced readers have trouble translating written words into sounds. Take turns reading, one sentence read by you, the next by your child as he or she reads along.
- Reading together can also help to turn reading from a chore into a pleasure. Make this reading time a treat. 15 minutes a day, every day, will do wonders. The regularity is key.
- Avoid “graphic novels” (a.k.a. comic books) as much as possible: the goal is to learn how to pay attention to written language, not pictures. Moreover, the text in graphic novels often does not model proper capitalization.
- Take your child to a bookshop where the employees really know books. Explain that your child is a reluctant reader. If your child has a special interest—hockey, horses, swimming, etc.—that will help the bookshop staff find books that will be both appealing and accessible.
- Children with serious reading challenges like dyslexia can benefit from reading along with audiobooks. The idea, again, is to help them learn how written text translates into sounds. It is important that the child not just listen, but reads along with the narration. It is also important that the audiobook version of the book is unabridged, matching the written text word-for-word. A digital device that is just for reading can be helpful; those that include games and other distracting apps are not.
- A good list of books recommended by students at each grade level can be found on the website for Nancie Atwell’s Center for Teaching and Learning in Maine: https://c-t-l.org/reading-resources/kids-recommend.
- Finally, your child’s English teacher will always be happy to help. Do not hesitate to reach out any time you have a question, suggestion, or concern.