Thursday, May 13, 2010

I am the parent of a 2nd grader. How do you encourage reading without it seeming like a punishment? ?

It seems like reading, at least when I want to encourage it outside of homework, is done at the expense of video games, computer time, dvd's or outside play. Do any parents who have been through this have any suggestions? I am the parent of a 2nd grader. How do you encourage reading without it seeming like a punishment? ?
I have a second grader and what I did was I made going to the library a big event.... I would go once a week and we would go to the library pick out a couple of books and stop at star bucks for a hot cocoa ($1.10, kids cocoa) or a McD's ice cream cone or somekind of treat and go home and read our books. I would act really interested in the book he chose and will have him come sit with me and read it to me. Then I try to ask him questions about it to help build his reading comprehension. My kids look forward to going to the library each week. With my older son, I did the bribe thing... he had to read for 15 minutes (which isn't much) so that he could watch tv or play video games. LOL... or I would set the tv to subtitles so he has to read it, lol... that worked for about 2 months and finally he figured out how to change it back. On our tv I would have to make it French with subtitling so that you HAD to read it. I would change it before they got home from school and then miraculously it would be fixed when mommy was ready to watch primetime... I kept telling him 'wow, I really need to call the cable company about this, lol';... then one day he figured it out and was all proud he had 'fixed' the tv... I had to feign happiness, lol!!!


Anyway,


I hope these suggestions help!!! :)I am the parent of a 2nd grader. How do you encourage reading without it seeming like a punishment? ?
Take your child to the library. Let him look through the aisles and aisles of books and select a couple to check out.





Designate the time after the bath/teeth brushing but before bedtime as reading time. I will sit with my kids and take turns reading the book with them. They are required to follow along while I'm reading and every now and then, I'll stop reading and that's their que to start reading. 20 minutes of reading a night really does help and they look forward to the one on one time.





Teach by example. If you show your kids you enjoy reading, they will be more willing to do it.



Your child needs to see you reading and enjoying it. If you have a passion for it and you model the value of reading then your child will do so also.


Do a family read aloud every evening where the t.v turns off. You read aloud. Go to a bookstore and encourage him/her to purchase books. Order from the school book orders.


Really it boils down to you limiting everything else in general but DO NOT SAY THAT IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO READ. Of course he will not read. You have to limit the other activities. Then after a week, start the reading. Encourage your child to tell their teacher their new reading habits.
Tell them that reading is fun %26amp; not everyone can do it. That's a sad truth...


When I was growing up, that's all I did, was read. I don't do it so much now, because school burned it out for me. When I was in second grade, my teacher found new ways to challenge my reading ability %26amp; it always made me feel special.


Just let the child know that reading is a special gift %26amp; that books are new worlds full of new adventures just waiting to happen... %26amp; the only way they can happen is if the child were to read them.
get the sunday funnies and have the kid read his/her favorite to you or a grandparent, help with the pronunciation, as necessary, do the same for comic books, let him/ her pick one or two a week and read them from cover to cover,but prove to you that they were actually read before buying any more, dont push just let it flow natureally, before you know it their noses will be glued to the books, strenuously reduce video game. dvd time in counterbalance
I would highly suggest choose your adventure books' ... not only are they fun and give possibilities of multiple endings... BUT YOUR KID IS THE HERO OR MAIN PERSON IN THE STORY!!!! WHAT MORE COULD THEY ASK FOR IT IS JUST LIKE A VIDEO GAME!!! YAY!!! sorry got way to excited about that.. but yea that would be a good way..





That or get books with alot of interest.. if he loves games.. get him a game magazine, just because it is has words he is still going to be interested cause it is something of interest to him.. It is a win win scenario cause he reads and learns about video games and release dates and reviews.. and then you win because he is actually reading and getting good at it.
I would recommend reading aloud to him- choose a very interesting children's book with a lot of funny action. My son LOVED Junie B. Jones books when he was in second grade. Now he is way into Captain Underpants.





If you are reading out loud and the story is interesting- your child will want to listen then they will get really involved in the story and want to know what happens next.





When this happens, have the child sit next to you and switch off reading chapters by taking turns.





Make reading a fun';special'; time that just you two share together. This works in our house.





good luck :)
Let the child pick out their own books take them out and buy one or two new ones that they pick out. I would also suggest to limit video game play, computer play and watching tv if you aren't already.
first take your child to the book store and let your child pick out the book that the child likes. children sometimes like to shop for something they like.
yes allow your child to pick out his own reading materials.

No comments:

Post a Comment