I felt extremely disappointed at the time of the year before trying to help my child focus on reading. Just like the daily school schedule, I tried to arrange a specific time and title to read with my child and the results we were unable to follow were planned. I feel extremely pressured just to help me follow the plans I have set. That feeling always makes me have to make the most of my time to help my child read books, as much as possible, even in addition to the lists that I have set up (And then I was really surprised when the result was a child. I don’t like books.) Have you ever fallen into such a situation?
I used to put something above all so that the faster I lose other things that are quite important to me – like helping my child develop a love of reading, increasing his reading skills baby … and just a backward old mother.
We have fallen into the path of reading. It was a whirlwind that always drew us in the direction of not wanting to read and I realized that if I didn’t change things it would be too late. “Each book is a dream you keep in your hands” (Neil Gaiman) and my dream is gradually disappearing.
Therefore, I am now determined to pay more attention to all the things that we will do together. Our study corner was born including a book and I swear I will try to read that book with my child every day. The first idea and priority is not to read 366 books this year. This will help my children be attracted to books and even discover it even if I can’t read them.
My learning corner and change in thinking are paying off. There has been a big change in our quality and reading time together.
Here are 10 things I’ve learned about how to make kids in my family crazy about reading. Maybe only I experienced the stress of failing for a year to help my child love reading and does not mean that you will have to!
1: Don’t consider reading as a chore worth noting.
I wonder how many of us agree with this view – consider reading time just a small, trivial task. I know I did and I will still struggle with this view. But I realized that when I read with my children as if I were concentrating on reading my favorite novel, the results would be surprising. Have you ever forgotten the concept of time because you were so engrossed in a novel? It feels like not paying attention to everything that is happening and getting lost in a good book. And don’t underestimate the quality of a children’s book – I remember completely immersed in Grandfather’s Journey and Frindle. When I finished the story, I realized that I didn’t read it anymore and my kids went to eat a snack!
2: Deliberately read and combine with acting.
The big priority this year is reading with the aim of engaging our children to think and increase reading comprehension. This means reading with a little drama and using different volume and voice, slow reading and asking if they understand what I have just read, or asking them to predict what will happen. next. The book How To Read A Story (pictured above) is a great children’s book. It is a book that helps both children and adults understand the right time and how to ask questions.
3: Use book cover layout.
Only a book that is beautifully displayed on bookshelves can appeal to my kids like they are attracted to a beautiful pair of shoes at the store. It does not matter who has chosen the book; Anyone is free to choose. Sometimes, Zac will replace a new book that I have chosen with a book he read before just because he wanted me to read it again. We kept our books in the bookshelves outward due to space constraints, but I found that once Zac loved a book, he would not find it difficult to find them. there.
4: Show books with simple props.
I find that placing just one or two items selected next to a book will entice a child to explore. I don’t always have time and you don’t always have props. In addition, some books, even without the accompanying props, are quite interesting. Most of the time we spend just to enjoy the book. In the picture above, I put a lot of branches in a basket to encourage my child to create letters and words as in the If I Wrote A Book About You book (below).
5: Combine with practical experience or practice.
So, if I don’t have the time or if I don’t have the props to set up with a book and if a particular book has ever been a huge success, then I will try my best to expand. it becomes a real experience, practical or better than both! If the use of the props will help children discover before they read, then adding experience / practice is a way to use after reading. Both ways are super effective and helpful. When we read The Carrot Seed last year, I noticed how excited Zac was. So we planted lots of carrot seeds in the spring and improved gardening skills. In the summer, our carrot tops appear three moths, then they have turned into 3 butterflies and we have learned more about the life cycle of butterflies. It was chosen as the book of the year with us.
6: Summarize if necessary.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (pictured above) is recommended for ages 9-12, but how can Zac resist those beautiful 3D images. Cu he kept begging me to read it. I read every word of the story right at the beginning, but then I realized that Zac was distracting because the story was too long. So, to get more results, I summarized the story. I shortened the sentences and paragraphs and added my personal comment. It worked and we finished the whole book. But there is something very interesting here: The next few times when I read this book, I read every single word as it was in the story and he didn’t seem to mind that much. The main words and long sentences make sense and make it easier for him when I summarize the story last time. And the boy immersed himself in all story content! Zac fell in love with the story. We have not read it recently, but sometimes I still hear Zac say he is Willy Wonka, or Charlie Bucket.
7: Try the wordless comic.
It is also very difficult to find these types of stories in the library, but this type of storybook is very useful, especially good at helping us verify the thoughts, predictions, explanations and questions we give. When I read books with text content inside, I found that Zac felt hesitant to make his predictions or thoughts. I knew it would take more time and have to model more before he was immersed in the story, but with the comic books without words I could see the boy could speak his thoughts more freely. I especially love the book Before After – it has depth and meaning and can really create long discussions. Letter Lunch is another great non-verbal book that helps us practice our phonics.
8: Try the newspaper.
We registered Chirp (pictured above) and Owl for Zac and Matt and they loved it very much. Zac will often make me reread the entire picture as if it were a book. When he was a kid, he didn’t really want to do activities on newspaper books. But I know at the moment it’s just a matter of being ready and having enough confidence in writing and drawing, because he is completely focused on those issues these days!
9: Don’t be afraid to use exercise books.
I am neutral when it comes to exercise books; I have no one priority. And take a look at this problem – some children just like the quiz. Zac was not used to using exercise books in the past, but he started to have some changes now, more confident in writing and drawing. We don’t have a lot of workbooks, but the ones we have are the ones we really love (in addition to the journal exercises, which are excellent Kumon Thinking Skills workbooks for Pre-K (Theory of Space, Differences, Logic).
10: Try the book with floating 3D images.
As I mentioned in number 6, the book with 3D Chocolate Factory is a great success for Zac although it is not recommended for the boy’s age. I think one of the reasons it works, apart from the fact that the story has been shortened, is the fact that it has 3D images that stand out on the pages of the book. In essence, they are the built-in props in the book and they help Zac figure out what happens in the story. They have turned an abstract story into a more specific story.
It is useful even for an older child. Matt, 9, has read a nonfiction book Built! A Knight’s Castle (pictured above) and if we can I will show him a real website. But because at that time, this was quite impossible, so the 3D castle and the construction of your own castle and the battle scene at the end of the book helped to read effectively. Both boys spend a lot of time playing role-playing games using these images and props.
The above things will be hard to remember, but I always try to remind myself every day: Quality over quantity. When the children and I laugh most comfortably at the end of the book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt or while reading Jonathan Cleaned Up – A He Heard A Sound: or Blackberry Subway Jam. Or when I cried at the end of a good book like Grandfather’s Journey or Frindle, and the kids just looked at me strangely. They may not be able to feel such things yet … but when they read similar books to their children when they are 30 years old and their tears are falling, they may remember beautiful moments. they already have and finally get it. I can dream like that.
Translation: Dang Ha