As you likely know, I’m an avid reader. I started reading at an early age and have been pretty devoted to books since then. It’s always been such an important part of my life, so when I had kids I couldn’t wait for them to love reading as much as I do.
Well. Of course, you know how parenting goes–things never turn out quite the way you planned. Jona has always loved being read to, but when it comes to reading himself it has taken him a while to get comfortable.
He’s in second grade now and his reading has improved immensely the last couple of years. He’s still not going to pick up a book instead of doing another activity, such as building Legos or watching football with his dad. Yet the fact that he’s found books he feels confident reading and enjoys is enough to satisfy me. (Although of course I hold out hope that one day he’ll love to read as much as I do.)
I wanted to share some books he’s enjoyed and that have worked well for him on his reading journey, as well as a few tips to encourage a reluctant reader.
{book recommendations}
Books with favorite characters. When Jona was first learning to read, it was a struggle to get him to read anything. So we started with those super simple I Can Read easy readers that included superheroes and Lego minifigures as main characters, and they helped boost his reading confidence.
Narwhal and Jelly series. I can’t say enough about graphic novels for reluctant readers, and this series is especially good for beginners. There are more pictures than words on the page, and the content is funny and entertaining.
Frog and Toad series. This is a classic easy reader series, and I even remember these books from when I was a kid. I think they worked so well for Jona because he was familiar with the characters; they had read some of the stories at school. The books are made up of several very short stories, with pictures taking up most of the page and large print words below.
Ling and Ting series. This is another easy reader series, about twin girls who “aren’t exactly the same.” The stories are quick and funny, and had Jona laughing (and reading!) out loud.
Dog Man series. This is another graphic novel series, and I have to admit that I can’t really stand reading these myself. However, this isn’t about me, and Jona has always loved this series. When he first started reading it he mostly looked at the pictures and could pull out a few of the words, and he continues to pick these up as his reading has improved.
The 13-Story Treehouse series. This is another graphic novel series that Jona enjoys. As with Dog Man, he started out just being able to read parts, and Aaron would read it aloud to him (dad has more patience for elementary school humor than mom around here), and now he loves reading these on his own.
{tips for reluctant readers}
- Read with them, and alternate pages. Let them choose who starts, and then take turns reading. It helps them practice reading, but they don’t feel quite as overwhelmed. Jona and I still do this every night I put him to bed.
- Don’t be a perfectionist. In the early days of sounding out words, yes, you want to make sure they know their phonics. But if you’re reading a story together for fun, don’t point out every mistake or skipped word, only the ones that alter the meaning of the sentence or story. Don’t dwell on it; just help them and move on.
- Go down a level until they feel comfortable and confident. Of course it’s good to challenge the brain, but with reading, it’s important to get them to a place they feel comfortable in order for them to enjoy it. If that means going down to a level that you know is “below” them, just do it. It might boost their confidence enough to want to read more later. You’re playing the long game here.
- Don’t be a book snob. Now is not the time to push “good literature” on your child. If bathroom humor and underwear jokes make you cringe, just swallow your criticism if those are the types of books that your kid actually wants to read. Just remember, you want them to enjoy reading, and any book that gets them there is a good book.
- Stop when they’re tired. If you’re reading together, don’t get discouraged if they start to get frustrated after only a few pages or a few minutes. Don’t try to push through; your child will only end up getting more frustrated. Instead, stop, but try again the next day. Both your consistency and listening to your child’s needs will pay off.
- Don’t push it. In the beginning, I was totally guilty of trying to teach Jona to read too early, and convincing myself that once he “gets” it, he’ll love it. Sure, Jona did learn his letter sounds and how to decode words, but did he enjoy it? Heck no. Every kid is different, and some kids may take to it right away, but don’t push it. Keep trying, keep encouraging, but if you try to force your child to practice reading, believe me, you won’t end up with a kid who loves reading overnight. Go at their pace. Once I learned that lesson reading together became much more enjoyable for both of us.
- Find out what they’re reading at school. Ask your child about what they read during library time or in the classroom. Reading something at home that is familiar and that they’ve read at school can help boost their confidence. They may know already where the story is going, or how to say the names of the characters. When I brought home a Frog and Toad book from the library, Jona’s face lit up. He was thrilled that we were going to read a book that he had read at school already.
As I mentioned before, remember that you are playing the long game. Of course you want your child to master the skill of reading, but more than that you want them to to see reading as something fun they want to do. If nothing else, keep that in mind as you help them on their reading journey.
