It was tough getting Sherina interested enough to read outside of AR time in school....until she was ready to read chapter books & discovered Magic Tree House!
My kids both love to read, so the issue here is getting them to put the books down and do household chores. This sounds like a blessing, and I suppose it is, but I've begun to realize what awful table manners they have, since I frequently let them read at the table instead of having a conversation. We're going to severely limit that because the other day, all I could hear were these horrific slurping and smacking sounds as they were trying to eat their dinner and read. It was so disgusting I thought I was in a barn or something!
I don't have kids so I'm no help there but I can tell you what got ME to reading:
a) people read to me (I especially remember my Gran reading me the original Pinocchio)
b) there were books in the house and they were prominently displayed as were magazines and newspapers and I saw my parents reading
c) the third grade teacher introduced the class to the library (which happily was less than a block from my house) and finding out that there was this treasure trove available for free was WONDERFUL
d) my Aunt bought books for nieces and nephews and finding out that one could OWN books was even MORE wonderful
Now I do know that it bugged my kindergarten teacher that I not only knew my alphabet before I started kindy but I also was trying to write and read even then. I also know that I would have the grade school "readers" FINISHED before the first six weeks was over which ALSO bugged my teachers... who didn't think I could read well because when asked to read aloud, I stumbled over words --- turned out I was reading so fast that I was ahead of my tongue. The fact that two such "discouraging" influences (notes on report cards 8and* personal comments to my mother - I was present during the one from the kindy teacher) did NOT discourage me and actually caused my parents to praise me is part of what kept me at it.
Certainly, having an English Lit major for a Mother didn't hurt (and a brilliant Ph.D candidate in engineering for a Father, too), because they led by example. But mainly, it was because there was so much out there that was FUN! I read to my baby brother (an antiquated 1920's encyclopedia, which had complete novels like Ben Hur in it, was the reading matter - but baby brother loved the parts about dinosaurs!) and even to the cat poor cat!)! I just LOVED to read and have as long as I can remember!
I was an odd duck kid so maybe my reading life is atypical but that it how I remember it!
I have one voracious reader and one reluctant reader, and both situations have their challenges! Clearly I love that my son (14) loves to read, but sometimes it is irritating too, as he can get so immersed that he tunes everything else out (and as homeschoolers, that can sometimes mean basic schoolwork!). It's very difficult for me to see my daughter dislike reading, as I am one of those people who will read ANYTHING (back of the cereal box anyone?), but she also has a much more artistic nature and is more physical than her brother, so there are advantages for her there.
I've always read to them, daily, and even at 11 and 14 they each always have a book ongoing that we read aloud. Often my son and I will read a book concurrently and discuss it. I do assign reading for school, mostly related to their history and both do it willingly, but my dd does take encouragement and nagging to do hers.
2 kids, same attitude and exposure, 2 very different outcomes! I am noticing that my daughter is beginning to enjoy reading more, so I am hopeful!
"The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts but learning how to make facts live."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes
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It was tough getting Sherina interested enough to read outside of AR time in school....until she was ready to read chapter books & discovered Magic Tree House!
They are required to read so much and take so many book tests that I feel bad for them!
My Kids and Me in Northern Ireland 2008 - The Giants Causeway ** Sue
I don't do anything to get Kayleigh to read. She has always enjoyed reading, it was never something that she needed to be forced to do.
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My
I don't have kids so I'm no help there but I can tell you what got ME to reading:
a) people read to me (I especially remember my Gran reading me the original Pinocchio)
b) there were books in the house and they were prominently displayed as were magazines and newspapers and I saw my parents reading
c) the third grade teacher introduced the class to the library (which happily was less than a block from my house) and finding out that there was this treasure trove available for free was WONDERFUL
d) my Aunt bought books for nieces and nephews and finding out that one could OWN books was even MORE wonderful
Now I do know that it bugged my kindergarten teacher that I not only knew my alphabet before I started kindy but I also was trying to write and read even then. I also know that I would have the grade school "readers" FINISHED before the first six weeks was over which ALSO bugged my teachers... who didn't think I could read well because when asked to read aloud, I stumbled over words --- turned out I was reading so fast that I was ahead of my tongue. The fact that two such "discouraging" influences (notes on report cards 8and* personal comments to my mother - I was present during the one from the kindy teacher) did NOT discourage me and actually caused my parents to praise me is part of what kept me at it.
Certainly, having an English Lit major for a Mother didn't hurt (and a brilliant Ph.D candidate in engineering for a Father, too), because they led by example. But mainly, it was because there was so much out there that was FUN! I read to my baby brother (an antiquated 1920's encyclopedia, which had complete novels like Ben Hur in it, was the reading matter - but baby brother loved the parts about dinosaurs!) and even to the cat poor cat!)! I just LOVED to read and have as long as I can remember!
I was an odd duck kid so maybe my reading life is atypical but that it how I remember it!
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I have one voracious reader and one reluctant reader, and both situations have their challenges! Clearly I love that my son (14) loves to read, but sometimes it is irritating too, as he can get so immersed that he tunes everything else out (and as homeschoolers, that can sometimes mean basic schoolwork!). It's very difficult for me to see my daughter dislike reading, as I am one of those people who will read ANYTHING (back of the cereal box anyone?), but she also has a much more artistic nature and is more physical than her brother, so there are advantages for her there.
I've always read to them, daily, and even at 11 and 14 they each always have a book ongoing that we read aloud. Often my son and I will read a book concurrently and discuss it. I do assign reading for school, mostly related to their history and both do it willingly, but my dd does take encouragement and nagging to do hers.
2 kids, same attitude and exposure, 2 very different outcomes! I am noticing that my daughter is beginning to enjoy reading more, so I am hopeful!
"The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts but learning how to make facts live."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Does the reading aloud thing work more because its just the 3 of you, or the 2 of you doing it Nancy?
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