Is there any suggestions to help a child love to read. DD just doesn't like to read, she says it is too hard! She knows how to read, but she sometimes acts like she can't. I think she is just being lazy about it......

Everytime I try to have her read or practice reading she gives me a bad attitude.

Any suggestions............

By Jann on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 09:04 pm:

Let her read other stuff, magazines, comic books, whatever. What are her interests? Find books about that. For a while have her read 'too easy' books so she gets her confidence up.

By Bellajoe on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 09:23 pm:

My dd is six. Her favorite book to "read" is Hop On Pop by Dr. Suess. She can read it, but she has read it so much that she has it memorized. She likes to read the easy Dr. Suess books because they are fun.

She also doesn't want to read often. Whenever I tell her it is time for some reading time she does the "ooohh" whiny noise. But I just sit down and help her out. Sometimes I read a page then she reads a page, just so she feels like I am there with her. It is something we do together, so she likes that. She wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. So we get first reader books on Vets at the library. Since she is interested in it, she wants to read it.

By Reds9298 on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 11:00 pm:

Former K teacher here and kids/literacy are my thing! Here are some things I'm thinking: Do you read just for the enjoyment of the story? I mean, are you reading for *training* or just for the enjoyment? Did you read to her a lot when she was younger? If she sees it as a task (albeit one that is difficult for her) you'll probably get nothing out of her. YOU read to her just for enjoyment, talk about it. What's her favorite picture in the book? What's her favorite part? Make a craft or drawing about the book. Dress up as a character. Act it out. Talk about the story. Relate to everyday things. Get some magnet letters from the $1 store and a pizza pan and go to town! What words is she confident in reading? Build them with the magnets. Change the first letter of words she knows (example Natalie, change first letter and re-read the word, sometimes it's a nonsense word and that's okay because she's applying sound/letter knowledge). "Circle" words on a page that she knows with her finger. Don't be a afraid to re-read and re-read a favorite book, and don't be afraid to read it TO her. If she likes it, keep reading it! When she does read (keep in mind I don't know her reading level) encourage her to use sounds AND meaning AND the pictures to decipher the text. If she reads a word incorrectly, but it's close, ask her to think about what she said and if it makes sense. Don't be afraid also to just fill in words she doesn't know.
Most of my K kids at 6 were reading about 20-30 high frequency words and weren't reading fluently. Read for enjoyment and make it as "fun" as possible with some of the above suggestions. That's all that's coming to mind right off the bat...can you tell I miss teaching??
What kinds of books are you reading? Titles?

By Mommmie on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 11:10 pm:

Keep an eye out for learning disabilities, too.

By Kernkate on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 12:35 am:

Just curious at 6 how much should they be reading on their own?

By Luv2fly on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 01:17 am:

My dd used to be the same. Things have really changed, here are some of the things we have done.
Summer reading chart: each book she reads to me she colors a block, 5 blocks= a treat.
I read Harry Potter to her every night at bedtime, she either reads me a book first or she reads the first two lines of every page of Harry Potter that we read (obviously this is very difficult, I do help her but now she is more motivated to read me one of her books first).

Our library has a large section of beginning readers, she now likes to pick her own. Library has videos of "Between the Lions" this is PBS reading show, entertaining and educational.

We have time in the day where we all look at books silently to ourselves, even younger dd who is 4.

Read the story , then see the play, the movie, or bake the cake, make the craft. Take it further, get excited!

Reading on the internet, Feona or someone here posted www.starfall.com, I am sure there are others.

HTH

By Karen~moderator on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 07:47 am:

Deanna, I have a question for you! When you were teaching K, did you use phonics or whole language????

By Colette on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 08:45 am:

A lot of libraries have programs in the summer geared towards kids, many with prizes. Starfall is a good site, my youngest dd's kindergarten teacher used their site to help w/reading. Find a favorite story, could be anything and read it to her with lots of expression. Books on tape might help, a magazine subscription - my dd gets Spider Magazine but there are many for young kids. My dd loved (still loves) Kevin Henkes books, they are very funny and your dd might like them too.

KernKate - I test kids leaving kindergarten for first grade and I have a list of about 100 "sight" words. They need to know most of them to go on to first grade.

By Tunnia on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 10:32 am:

I haven't read any of the responses so I'm sorry if I'm repeating anyone, but when my dd was that age I got her subscriptions to magazines she was interested in (ex. Highlights, Zoobooks, Ranger Rick). She was so excited when she would "get mail" that she would immediately sit down and look at them and she would either read on her own or ask me to read to her. As time went on she started reading on her own more and more and asking me to read less and less. Kids at this age can still benefit greatly from you reading to them.

By Momofmax on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 12:38 pm:

I agree with Deanna completely. My son is six and he is a great reader! I believe the reason is because we made reading fun, he picks most of the books, and I don't force him to read every word - I help him when he needs it. If he is stumbling over a word and it's one that I know is new to him I just say the word, he says it and goes on. To my surprise he has gotten to the point where he needs very little help. He won't just sit down and read a book by himself but he doesn't mind sitting with me and sharing the reading. I never say "OK, it's time to read" because that sounds like work. I might sit on the floor of his room and pick a book off the shelf and then he'll pick one and join me or something like that.

By Dana on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 02:54 pm:

my DD is the same. Reading is WORK. She *can* read but doesn't like to. She is reading at and just above her recommended reading level. Although you wouldn't know it by hearing her read at home. She just hates trying. at school she can read things I never have heard her read. So, with that description, here is what caught her attention enough for SOME reading this summer.

Henry and Mudge (a series of books that have small chapters.)
Your Big Backyard magazine
and she recently came across a series of books that are "animal rescues" stories..."a true story" The titles vary, but those words quoted above show on the cover.

Besides that she doesn't enjoy it. and she only enjoys it when the mood really strikes her. As for being read to, well that is a totally different story. She will sit all day long to listen .

By Paulas on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 04:21 pm:

Deanna has given you some wonderful suggestions. Has she just completed Kindergarten or First Grade. That makes a big difference in where she is at in terms of her reading ability and reading confidence.

I agree, if it is seen as a chore, then it will be difficult to get her to read. Making it fun is totally the key. I would also suggest early morning or evening for summer reading. Unless you are like me and enjoy an afternoon read by the lake. The reason I say morning or evening is that if she is listening to other kids outside playing while she has to stay in and read, it might be considered even more of a chore.

Starfall is a good site to visit, as someone mentioned. Another is Book Adventure. At BA you read suggested books by grade level and then there are comprehension quizzes to take. You earn points for each correct answer and then you can redeem them for small prizes like stickers, tatoos,etc that are mailed to you.

I am also a teacher so just let us know if there is anything else you need to know.

By Children03 on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 05:00 pm:

My 5 year old is reading and she enjoys it. She really likes to read out loud to me or my husband. Maybe take her to the library or book store and let her pick out some of her own books.

By Livvy on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 07:43 pm:

One thing that I have done to help make sure my DD likes to read is to let her see me read for enjoyment. My family members are all avid readers (I sometimes wonder if it is something that is inherited) and as little kids we always saw my Mom and Aunts reading for enjoyment so we did too.

If your DD sees that reading is a "chore" for the adults in her life, she will pick that up. My DD is going into 2nd grade and reading for enjoyment all the time. She would rather read a good chapter book than watch TV!!

We also read 2 different books called "You Read to Me, I'll Read to You." (supposed to be underlined!!) They are books that have sentences in different colors and you take turns reading your color. She loved those!! Good luck!!!

By Reds9298 on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 08:52 pm:

Karen- Neither! I use a large mix of everything good! I used a lot of Building Blocks (the K version of the 4-Blocks Model.Really just developmentally appropriate literacy practices, which includes a lot of what I listed above, as well as word walls, guided reading, interactive writing, and shared reading.

In our school system, K's need to know about 36 sight words, including the color words. They also must be able to track print, recognize ending punctuation and what it means, know author/illustrator and where it's located on the book, and general knowledge of 'books' such as that.
Heckelmom-I don't think it is at ALL unusual that your dd isn't reading well right now. I wouldn't be worried at all at this point, especially if you see any signs of progress. Reading is HARD and it takes some children longer than others, just like anything else. Keep in mind that a learning disability requires a significant discrepancy between math and lang/rdg. skills, so I wouldn't start worrying about that! She's 6 for heaven's sake I would try to make it as enjoyable as possible for her.
Good ideas posted here...some others I was just thinking of...we make 'eyeglasses' out of pipe cleaners (twist one end into a circle and hold it like opera glasses); use a popsicle stick as a pointer with a plastic eyeball glued on the end, or tassles, jewels, whatever she likes. Look at letters and words EVEYRWHERE! Environmental print (the words you see around you in everyday life, stop signs, store signs, newspapers, cereal box, McD's, you name it) is a wonderful to encourage "What is that letter? Can you find a word you know hidden inside of another word? (Like 'on' inside of McDonald's), What letters are in your name that are in another word?" The possibilities are endless. You can also keep a word wall on your fridge or in her room of words she knows. Add a word a week or every few days, whatever you think according to her skill level. Talk about print constantly and read enjoyable books. Sometimes lower reading level books from the library aren't that "meaty" as far as fun goes, so really try to beef them up with activities to make them better.
Livvy - great suggestions, too!

By Reds9298 on Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 10:05 am:

We also turn out/dim the lights and use a mini flashlight to "read" the words.

By Karen~moderator on Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 10:10 am:

I wish Jen would have had YOU as a K teacher! Our school system switched from using phonics to using whole language between her K year and 1st grade year. All through preschool and K she had been taught phonics and was doing very well. She also loved being read to and learning to read. Once she entered 1st grade, the school system dictated that the teachers use whole language to teach the kids to read. For some reason, this was very difficult for Jen to grasp. They left it up to the teachers as to whether or not they would incorporate phonics into their program. Some did, and others didn't. I don't think anyone gave any thought to the fact that almost all of these kids had been taught phonics for the past several years.

I had always used phonics at home, and though my kids didn't live in front of the TV, they watched Sesame Street every day, where phonics were used. The whole language really threw her, and I didn't think she'd ever learn to read.

Then they created another 1st grade class due to the number of new kids at the school pushing the class sizes over the acceptable number. At the time, when Jen was one of those being moved to the new class, I was angry and upset, since she was already having trouble, plus she was recuperating from double hernia surgery when we got the letter (yes, it was done by letter, not by TALKING to the parents!). But it turned out to be THE best move for her, the teacher was wonderful, she recognized that the switch had caused problems for many of the kids and she used alternate methods, some of which have been described above, to help the kids learn to read. In later years, Jen got in trouble for reading in class when she was supposed to be doing other things, and to this day, she's a voracious reader.

The methods used to teach kids to read has such a great impact on them, not just for that particular period in their life, but for their entire life.

I still firmly believe that reading to your child as far back as to when you were pregnant with him/her, and certainly from infancy, has a huge impact on their desire to learn to read, and to actually enjoy reading. The various teaching methods used to teach reading to students are secondary only to that, IMO.......... I'm off my rant now! LOL

By Reds9298 on Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 12:09 pm:

Karen - I agree totally with your last 2 paragraphs. I also don't think there's "one" way that is best...I think any program has to include phonics without a doubt. Now the way you go about teaching phonics is a different story, and I don't think it's with workbooks ro worksheets. Hands on and fun is the best way to go in ANY discipline IMO, for kids or adults for that matter! I always try to pull from several different methods to create "my own" so to speak.
Plus, anytime the school corp. says "You have to teach this now"....never did it! Once you close the door to your room you just do what's best for kids! Whole language has good things within it, but really no structure and NO phonics.

By Monicamomof3 on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 10:00 pm:

Read to her a lot. Let her choose books at night. Also, I think it matters a lot if kids see their parents reading on their own. I think the more they see us reading, the more likely they are to become readers. I wouldn't make a big deal out of it though.

Oh- also, if our kids get into trouble a night during their bedtime routine, we take away a book that they have chosen. It seems that that has made them want to read even more. It's like they value it even more b/c "since mom is taking it away, it must be something worth wanting!"

I should mention, though, we start off with enough books that if some get taken away, we still read at least one each and reading time isn't deprived!

Just an idea!

By Heckelmom on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 06:35 pm:

Thanks for all the replies... We have read to our daughter since she was just months old.
Daddy reads to her every night and I read to her during the day, at least a couple times a week.

I think I need to not worry, make reading fun and work on individual words instead of books. She does better with just words.... I think books are very intimidating for her right now.

We also play games with her and are starting to make her 'read' things more.

We made up another car game, when we stop at a light..... we look around to see what words we can read and how many we can say before the light turns green.

By Yjja123 on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 06:56 pm:

We have used Book adventure. It is great. If your public school uses AR tests, this is similar.
We also have hooked on phonics master reader. It has improved my daughters reading tremendously.
My son reads at a much higher level but doesn't choose to read often. The only way is to get him books on his interests (he likes factual books on the human body or dinosaurs). I take them to the book store when they have passed a certain amount of reading comprehension tests.
The dolch word list is a great way to improve a young readers vocabulary. If you do an online search you can find the list.
Every child learns differently. My son seemed to know how to read the moment he picked up a book. It just clicked for him. My daughter has had a harder time with it. The funny thing is--she LOVES to read. Thank goodness the struggle has not ruined it for her.
Good luck!
Yvonne

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 07:06 pm:

My kids have always loved reading, whether it was me reading to them, or them reading themselves! At 6, they were both reading well, by themselves. I think that's about when I stopped reading to them, since they were both good readers. (I know that they say you should keep reading to them, but it's no fun reading to people who aren't listening!) I tried reading Harry Potter, but on one would pay attention, so I stopped. My kids read every day, still, at the ages of 16 and 13. They had to read 15 hours, for the library reading program this summer and it didn't take them long to accomplish that, despite going to camp and a mission trip.

By Reds9298 on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 08:38 pm:

Heckelmom - That's a GREAT game!

By Jjkmommy on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 10:05 pm:

My middle boy hated to read! We started doing fun activites with him that he didn't even relize that he was working on his reading. The biggest one that helped us was reading directions. He got to help cook dinner or bake something. He read the directions to me(sometimes with help) and then I let him add the stuff and mix it all together. Then he could eat the final project! We did this with everything. Crafts, tv listings, maps. Another great one was shopping. He had to help read the names on the boxes. He could tell you what the box for Quaker Oat Squares looked like but I had him go a step farther by having him read things on the front of the box! We also played the spelling game. I would say I want to go to the P.A.R.K. today. If he wanted to go he had to figure out what I was spelling.