I Need Advise

Hi

Most of the time kids hate to read is because it is hard. I know learning to read is hard, but maybe there is a reading issue like dyslexia or something. I know schools are hesitant to diagnose dsylexia before middle school, but I know for a fact that it can be diagnosed earlier. We have run into that problem with my daughter. You might want to consider independent testing. If you can catch it early, you can help him learn to like to read.

L.

sonja...this is very important. does your son have a problem with reading?? i mean, does he have learning disabilities???children love to learn!!! i mean if it is introduced in a fun manner and isn't for too long. ya know?? i think he may need a different approach to learning like, he needs someone to figure out what is going on instead of thinking he doesn't like to read. ya know?? i had learning problems. i am not stupid but i have disabilities myself so i know. does anyone in the family have problems cause they may be able to identify with him. and talk to him. find out by talking to his school. he needs a core evaluation. you have to put it in writing and give it to the principal. so put in a request and go from there. the evaluation will give you a direction to go so you can help your little man. reading is soo very important as you know and i think if you do this you will be able to fix the problem.. k??? please let me know what happened. i suffered and my father called me stupid and still does to this day. if i only knew that i just needed to learn a different way. so good luck!!! but you have to put a request in writing to get a core evaluation and sonja that will open sooo many doors for your little guy. kids love to learn esp reading. sooo good luck J.. my email add is ____@____.com

First make sure he doesn't have a problem reading or need glasses.
My son was the same way. I finally got him to read and enjoy it thanks to the "Captian Underpants" series and the Bionicle series. His easy reading transfered over to his school reading.

Join "Book it." Then every night, have a half hour designated to reading time. Have him read aloud to you and make sure he understands what he is reading. Then have him document what he has read on his chart and talk about how much cloaser he is to his monthly reading goal. They love that personal pan pizza at the end of the month.

R.

Hi S.,
I let my kids (10 and 8 1/2) stay up an extra 1/2 hour but they have to read! Works everytime. Also let them read the titles that interest them. I read Anne's response and had to laugh because all my son would read when he was 8 (now 10) was Captain Underpants! It's ok as long as they're reading! V.

S.,
what is your son interested in? does he like thomas the train, or justice league or hot wheels? buy him something fun to learn to read with maybe a leappad with a couple of books that interest him. Once he sees that they have things that will hold his interest with books, then it will be easier for him to read the homework assignments.

My son is almost 8 with ADHD and absolutely LOVES to read. But it wasn't always that way. When he first started to read he was excited, but that started to taper off somewhat when it became a required part of homework. There are a few things that I've found helped. One of the things we do is reward weekend video game time for time spent reading. In other words, for every 15 minutes spent reading he gets 15 minutes of video game time on the weekend. Second, no matter how silly or whatnot I always read the books that my son has, that way if he's getting bored or frustrated I can help him. By knowing what the story is about I show him that I am interested in what he's doing and also if he's stuck or doesn't like/understand part of the story I know what it's about and can help make it more interesting or explain it the best I can. Libraries are also a great way to explore what type of books your son might like to read-having his own library card might help his interest also. The independence of using his own card and picking his own books might spark up some more interest.I got both of my children their library cards when they turned 3 and it's great.

Hello S.,
I also have an 8 year old boy who absolutely does not like to read. Not even if it is something he likes. But what I have discovered it that when we do it together he seems to do read a lot easier. You know with out the fight and crying. I just say ok look you read a paragraph and I will read a paragraph. To them they can do that, it makes read time easier and shorter for them. Plus with you read you can enthustiastic and make it fun. Make up different voices and really even though they are 8 they still enjoy that. So, it worked for me it amy or may not work for you. I just thought I would send out my story and hopefully it might work. have a great day!

The best way kids learn is through play. I always do learning activities with my 3 year old daughter. She thinks it's just a game, but she's actually learning. You need to make it more interesting to him and fun for him, instead of it just being a boring chore. I owuld suggest trying to make it into a game of some sort. He will get his work done, learn something, and have fun doing it. If you need suggestions on how to make it into a game let me know. I went to school for child development and learning activities are my favorite thing to do with my kids.

Read to him, most teachers will say as long as you are reading, he is reading, or you are dicussing reading for 30 minutes a day then the requirement is met. I read to my daughter and she is 10, sometimes she will read to me. You may want to try that as well. She likes the idea of telling mommy a story. He may find that fun as well. Most kids don't like to read at a young age. Eventually though they do start to get into reading more. So just hang in there and keep trying. Also make sure you let him pick the reading material as much as possible. Is he into Harry Potter? What ever his interest are try to find books age appropriate with his interest in them.

You might want to try and make it fun for him buy taking him out to eat and reading to him and he read back to you.Just thinking of fun ways to help him.

Well if it's homework it's hard to get them to do it. But I actually spoke to a literacy teacher last night at my sons school because i'm having the same problem with him. She suggested start out with something he likes. It could even be a comic book, Sports something that sparks his intrest. Start with that alittle each night and see if that works. And when it comes to his homework make it a game. You could also take turns reading a sentence or paragragh.

The Joy of Reading
How to keep it fun and fresh -- for babies, big kids, and you
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Barbara Rowley
Babies and toddlers

Kindergarten and Beyond

What they love about books:

Reading is fun

By reading the same books as their friends, they'll feel like part of a group, and be up on the latest heroes and fads of kid culture

There's a book on practically every single topic in the whole world

If you read every single book in a series you'll feel really cool

Book time is snuggle time

What they'll be learning:
How to read

How to follow a story from chapter to chapter

How to use their imaginations

What you can do:
Keep reading. Your child's attention span and capacity for understanding complex plots and language when you're reading outstrip his own ability to read. So until his literacy catches up with his intellect, keep reading to him.

Don't play teacher. You might take turns reading paragraphs, pages, or chapters if your child likes to do that. But not all kids will. So don't turn storytime into reading practice unless your child initiates it.

Embrace abundance. Keep plenty of chapter books, storybooks, and picture books around on lots of topics.

Accept antsiness. If he's super-squirmy, let him do some other activity while he listens. After all, you can listen to the radio and do the dishes at the same time. Drawing, hair brushing, fiddling with some doodad — all are fine.

Choose thoughtfully. Pick books that embrace the values that are important to your family, and then talk about them. Keep it light. Reading is fun — the last thing you want to do is make it feel like drudgery.

What to look for when picking books:
Pictures, still. They can provide visual clues to help decode what's in the text.

Short chapters. And short sentences. You'll keep a new reader motivated by letting him succeed — move through a book, finish chapters, get to the end.

Real stories. Older kids' sophistication about how the world works mean they're ready for more involved plots.

Your child's interests. A growing sense of self means books on his favorite topics will be compelling.

Books you liked when you were little. There's joy for both of you in turning your favorite memories into your child's exciting discovery. Which, in the end, is what you want reading to be about.

Parenting, September 2006

TRy making a chart like a potty chart. Each time he does his homework or reads he gets a star. After so many stars he gets a reward

break it up into 10 min times cause my son hates reading school stuff but loves books so he switches between other activities