My platform has been to reach reluctant readers. And one of the best ways I found to motivate them is to connect them with reading that interests them, to expand the definition of reading to include humor, science fiction/fantasy, nonfiction, graphic novels, wordless books, audio books and comic books.
Believe it or not, I am a reluctant reader. I also happen to work in a public library helping children daily. Whether you are a librarian, teacher, or a parent with a reluctant reader, if you are someone who always liked to read it can be hard to understand children who doesn't have the same affection towards literature. How do you get them to, not only read and comprehend the book but, enjoy the material as well? First understand why children may be reluctant readers in the first place.
Have a conversation with the child.
What is it about reading they don't like? For many children reading is boring. Ask what parts of the book are boring. Young readers are just beginning to put sounds/words/sentences together and some children will feel overwhelmed. Many only read the words and not the story behind it. Remember when you were a kid in school, and you were called on to read? How many of us would count the number of kids ahead of us and then count the same number of sentences/paragraphs so we could practice before being called on? Children may not be able to comprehend the story behind the words they are reading. They may not visualize the story they are reading, only the words. Therefore, it can be boring for children to read the words because they have yet to master the story the words are telling.
Too much details in the book. Surprisingly, some authors create too much detail in their books. It could be the first few chapters or when introducing a new character. You know why the author does this but sometimes its too much for the young reader. The story gets lost in description and the child may loose interest. Too much detail and not enough action. You can ask the child why the author has to write details about characters and places. Explain that they are trying to paint the reader a picture of how the castle looks or what the hero looks like. How can we just look at a character on the TV/big screen and the detail is already there for us? It's because the imagination and visualization is already done for us by the director. This is the perfect time to talk about imagination; the difference between the author's and reader's imagination.
Possible learning disability. If you notice that the young reader has a learning disability like dyslexia it's okay to seek medical attention. As someone who has learning disabilities there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting your child tested. I was never given that option as a child and I think that impacted me greatly. If you know that your young reader has a learning disability relearn how to teach them. Scroll down for more options on this!
The book doesn't interest them. I see this way more than I care to admit. Parents want their children to read what they were interested in as a child, the parents know their child will love a certain book series but it doesn't interest the child, or the popular graphic novel book that is all the rage doesn't look challenging enough for the parent. This is what I love about public libraries. The books are FREE to checkout and take home. Let them take a few books to try them out. You would be surprised at what your child likes to read. I love reading teen dystopia novels but the premise of the world ending and beginning in a new way terrifies me. It doesn't stop me from reading it though. Let your child choose their next adventure in the books they want to read. If your child would rather choose a nonfiction book but you want them to read a fiction books, make it a comprise. Let your child check out two nonfiction books and one fiction book. See what their nonfiction interests are and ask a Librarian for a read alike in fiction. There are so many options open. Also, let them read that graphic novel. Always let them read that graphic novel.
They have other interests. They love surfing? Photography? Find books, manuals, magazines, anything in their interest and let them read it. My poor mom would buy every magazine with NSYNC on the cover because, well, I would read it. Then it went to my other interests and soon I was reading a nonfiction book about Ancient Egypt or different creation stories. If you have a reluctant reader the best thing you can do for them is give them something they will not want to put down. If they are reading words, they are engaging in literacy and learning.
What are some other options I have used to help reluctant readers in my library to read? Some may say that these ideas are not your standard answers. A now retired Librarian once got very upset at me for some of these suggestions but parents love them. Hope you are able to use them.
Audio books: Yes the work is already done for you but try adding in the book too. Have your young reader follow along with their own book while the narrator is reading. Some apps will allow you to slow down the narration. You can also have the young reader read out loud for a paragraph or two then hit play on the audio revision.
Books made into movies: The most controversial on the list is having the young reader watch the movie first then read the book. This comes with a warning label: have a conversation comparing the two before hand. Why books are more detailed, some movies will leave out complete subplots, etc. This helps reluctant readers because the "hard work" is already done for them. Take the Harry Potter series on audio for example. Jim Dale sounds like 90% of the characters. Take the book version: If you were to watch the film first they can picture Harry, see Hogwarts, know how tall Hagrid is, etc. Soon the young reader will be reading about Norbert the dragon and hear Creature's backstory soon enough and have no clue they are doing that all on their own, because they are not in the movies, only the books.
Hi-Lo book lists: Short for high-interest, low-readability books you can find any hi-lo books lists on Goodreads, Pinterest, or the one Stay At Home Librarians created. A great series to start with is the Great Illustrated Classics books. The founding Friends of the Library gifted me the Heidi one when I was young. I loved it.
Picture books: While reading only picture books is a bit extreme I would suggest adding some older picture books in with the stack of Hi-Lo books as well. Take Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco. This book is considered an upper elementary picture book. There are others as well. These are shorter books with more illustrations but the content is higher reading levels.
Biographies: These are considered nonfiction but because they are biographies they have a "main character". A lot of children are liking the Who Is/Was series and many other biography series. Add in one biography a library visit to see how your young readers like it. They can pick a biography from anything they are interested in (Athletes, singers, social reformers, etc.).
I hope these suggestions help you and your reluctant readers find the perfect book for them. Remember that being a reluctant reader doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the child, they are just interested in much more than where their level currently is.
Find the right book and you will find their minds are far more powerful then their reluctance is letting one.
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