Dear Parents, learners, and other readers,
Many people have asked me, as a reading specialist, "Why won't this kid read? We're a whole FAMILY of readers, except for that one. I gave him/her my FAVORITE BOOK IN THE WHOLE WORLD - a classic. But nope. Kid dropped it like a hot potato. What gives?"
I had this conversation with @Natalie Wind, the other day, courtesy of my sister Mara's facebook page. She had given her sister a wonderful Judy Blume book, but was unsure if she'd read even three chapters.
Some folks don't like fiction, and we teachers have done wrong by many of them by insisting over the years that fiction was the only way to go. It's what we assigned as whole class reading books; we used fiction in small groups. We were relentless. We have seen the light.
And it's a well-written light coming from multiple genres. That is to say - give the reader what he or she craves.Don't put them down because they reject "the classics". Some folks think "made up stuff" is a waste of their time. For kids who have no time to waste on "dumb stuff like dragons", try biographies and information books about history and the history of science. Who made what when? That's what many kids want to know.
If you're looking to lure a reluctant reader into fiction, look more closely at her interests in real life. If she's a sports geek, try Matt Christopher (2nd through 4th grades), Mike Lupica (middle through high school), or Robert Lipsyte (upper middle through high school). These writers capture the sweat and drama of sports from motocross to soccer to basketball. Lupica and Lipsyte write for major New York newspapers, and Lipsyte has won many writing awards, and has also written about being bullied as a fat kid in middle school, and surviving several bouts of cancer. He has written about about his time as a cancer patient for both children and adults. Mike Lupica has written a series of books as well, and they range in topics from being the short kid on the basketball team, to the stresses of a travel team life.
Matt Christopher's books are appropriately less complex, and are often a reader's first leap into "real" chapter books. They are good shared read aloud books for second through fourth graders, as long as you take the time to discuss the plot line. Who is who? Why is that person upset? What do you THINK will happen next... and then...were you right? Helping your reader live into the book will help him enjoy it, and want to read more. When you share that burden of reading as he makes the move into more sophisticated books, he can hear how fluent reading sounds, and learn how his reading should sound.
But there are so many genres besides just books! Consider giving a gift of Sports Illustrated for Kids, Time for Kids, or NatGeo (National Geographics for Kids). Cricket Magazine has a score of magazines for different ages and interests. At this site, you canorder the magazine that fits your learner's interests and age, AND you can order an app to go with it! So when you're stuck in the doctor's office and you've forgotten a book or toy...hand over the Nook, or the Ipad, and nobody gets ...hurt? bored? You get the idea. Your child can show you the stories, and you can read them aloud together. There are puzzles, contests, comics, and all sorts of options.
And you can still order now, Dec. 20, at the last minute for Christmas.
Questions? Comments? Send them along! Amy.Lesemann@gmail.com
Through Lesemann Learning I can work with your learner by Skype, anywhere in the country, if your child needs help with reading, writing, or test prep... Go to my website, and look at the learners' pages down the left side. Every learner has his or her own page. Lesemann Learning Learner better. Learn happier.
great post, I recall loving to read sports books, I was ok with fiction , but sports history connected me back. Thanks
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't forget the news hounds! Most newspapers are at a 4th grade reading level and this is a solution for many kids. Graphic novels, for the kids who love art, movie scripts (more and more are available online), poetry, both simple and complex, if they're someone who likes to put things together make them the "instruction manual expert" in your family. This is a great and timely post, Amy!!!
ReplyDeleteGood points, all! Sports bios are great. Any time a reluctant reader can feel as if he or she has read something "true" or real they tend to want to continue. We sometimes need to lure them in with historical fiction, at times. But I know my father dislikes that! He likes EITHER history OR fiction. He does not like people pretending to know what real people said; he says it feels dishonest to him! That's an interesting perspective.
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