Engaging with the disengaged reader

Although most of our students aren't reading at this age, it's great to get them excited about reading with us, talking about stories/pictures in the book and labeling common letters or words they see as well. At school, I often hear families tell me that their children won't sit for them or they aren't motivated to read with them. I hope that the information below will help you in this area.

I recently read about some creative strategies to avoid challenging behavior during reading time. First, it is important to take the time to converse with the child to discover his/her interests, strengths, and personal events in life. By taking the time to get to know the child, adults can learn which topical books might interest the child and why the child may not be motivated to read at the time (Demos & Foshay, 2010). In addition, many children are not motivated to read with adults because they don't have confidence in their reading skills. Parents and teachers should be cautious about the number of posing questions they ask children during reading time, making sure to build confidence in knowledge by starting to read at level that is comfortable to the child, slowly building on simple comments and questions to use while reading (Demos & Foshay, 2010). Given the opportunity to read about a topic of interest and not feel the pressure to perform, children will feel more comfortable reading with adults. Lastly, it is important to involve students in everyday reading through other avenues such as the computer, newspapers or magazines, and simple fliers send home from school. As children read these materials, they will learn the importance of reading in everyday life as well and they may be more motivated to read overall (Demos & Foshay, 2010).

When reflecting upon this information, take the time to ask yourself these questions below:
1) What are my child's interests? Do I have any books/materials about these topics?
2) Have I organized a day to visit the library with my child to give him/her the opportunity to look at a variety of materials and choose/check out his/her own materials?
3) When I read with my child, what kinds of comments or questions do I make? What do I need to say to avoid any pressure I may be giving to my child?

Setting aside a regular time each day is an easy way to help you and your child read more together. Give your child the opportunity to choose the time and location. Perhaps you can bring a special stuffed animal or blanket to help your child remain calm and relaxed or you can set up a motivating activity afterwards to reward your child for remaining with you during the reading time. And most importantly, have fun!