Hi, welcome back.
As the parent of two boys, I can understand the frustration many face trying to get their kids to read.
Lives are so busy, between after school activities, homework and the computer, who has time to pick up a book?
When my kids were younger, I'd set aside time each night to read. In the world of technology it sounds impossible, but it's not. What worked for me was to create a balance. I understood they needed downtime after a busy day, wanted to watch their favourite shows, so I let them. I didn't try to compete by insisting that we had to read.
Like many parents with young kids they had a scheduled bedtime. Instead of tucking them in and leaving the room, I or my husband would sit with them and read a book of their choosing. I made it a game, where they had five minutes before we started to select three books to read each night. We'd gather together in one of the kids rooms books piled on the bed and read.
I can still recall sitting on the classroom floor and listen to my teacher read James and The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Once she was done, we all grabbed for the book, our appetites whetted.
To this day, I still enjoy hearing a book read out loud, and often listen to audio books in the car.
The key to reading is to capture your child's interest. Don't worry if its the same book every night, it's something they enjoy. My oldest loved trains, and had his selected favourites. I can recall reading Donald Crews Freight Train more than one hundred times. It may be tiresome for you to read it, but is a comfort and familiar to your child. I found when they were ready to move on they did. I never wanted reading to become a frustration or chore, but something they loved. As they got older and more fluent in reading their tastes broadened, but for many years we still read collectively at bedtime.
It takes time to set up any new routine, but don't give up. It might take several weeks to establish, but once you've begun, you'll see how quickly and eagerly the kids respond. I have yet to meet a child that doesn't like to hear a story read.
I will leave you a list of some of our favourites:
Shel Silverstein: The Giving Tree: Where the Sidewalk Ends: A Giraffe and a Half: Lafcadio the Lion that Shot Back: Light in the Attic
Brian Wildsmith: All Fall Down: The Apple Bird: The Circus: The Lazy Bear ( and many more)
Eric Carle: A house for Hermit Crab: The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Pancake Pancake ( and many more)
Jean Brunhoff : Babar the Elephant books
Margaret Rey: Curious George Books
Virginia Lee Burton: Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel: Choo Choo: The Little House: Katy and the Big Snow:
Janell Cannon: Verdi
Marie Louise Gay: Stella and Sam: Rabbit Blue (and more)
Dr. Seuss - Many books from The Cat in The Hat to Horton Hears a Who..... and more, lots more.
Happy reading,
bye Rosalyne
As the parent of two boys, I can understand the frustration many face trying to get their kids to read.
Lives are so busy, between after school activities, homework and the computer, who has time to pick up a book?
When my kids were younger, I'd set aside time each night to read. In the world of technology it sounds impossible, but it's not. What worked for me was to create a balance. I understood they needed downtime after a busy day, wanted to watch their favourite shows, so I let them. I didn't try to compete by insisting that we had to read.
Like many parents with young kids they had a scheduled bedtime. Instead of tucking them in and leaving the room, I or my husband would sit with them and read a book of their choosing. I made it a game, where they had five minutes before we started to select three books to read each night. We'd gather together in one of the kids rooms books piled on the bed and read.
I can still recall sitting on the classroom floor and listen to my teacher read James and The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Once she was done, we all grabbed for the book, our appetites whetted.
To this day, I still enjoy hearing a book read out loud, and often listen to audio books in the car.
The key to reading is to capture your child's interest. Don't worry if its the same book every night, it's something they enjoy. My oldest loved trains, and had his selected favourites. I can recall reading Donald Crews Freight Train more than one hundred times. It may be tiresome for you to read it, but is a comfort and familiar to your child. I found when they were ready to move on they did. I never wanted reading to become a frustration or chore, but something they loved. As they got older and more fluent in reading their tastes broadened, but for many years we still read collectively at bedtime.
It takes time to set up any new routine, but don't give up. It might take several weeks to establish, but once you've begun, you'll see how quickly and eagerly the kids respond. I have yet to meet a child that doesn't like to hear a story read.
I will leave you a list of some of our favourites:
Shel Silverstein: The Giving Tree: Where the Sidewalk Ends: A Giraffe and a Half: Lafcadio the Lion that Shot Back: Light in the Attic
Brian Wildsmith: All Fall Down: The Apple Bird: The Circus: The Lazy Bear ( and many more)
Eric Carle: A house for Hermit Crab: The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Pancake Pancake ( and many more)
Jean Brunhoff : Babar the Elephant books
Margaret Rey: Curious George Books
Virginia Lee Burton: Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel: Choo Choo: The Little House: Katy and the Big Snow:
Janell Cannon: Verdi
Marie Louise Gay: Stella and Sam: Rabbit Blue (and more)
Dr. Seuss - Many books from The Cat in The Hat to Horton Hears a Who..... and more, lots more.
Happy reading,
bye Rosalyne
