Don’t Panic if Your Kids Can’t Read Yet Last week I couldn’t find him. I was walking all over our new home looking for our youngest son. No matter how many times I called his name, he didn’t answer. Just about the time I started to be concerned, I saw him out of the corner of my eye; buried in a bean bag, snuggling with the dog and reading. READING! This may not seem like a big deal to you, but the boy was almost ten and hadn’t jumped into the world of stories on his own. I wasn’t concerned. All five of our sons were reluctant readers in the beginning. But our youngest? He was the most reluctant yet. He never really picked up a book on his own… until that day… Got kids who just can’t read, don’t want to read, or are struggling? Don’t panic…Just keep reading aloud to them. What can you do to tickle their desire to pick up books? Grab an exciting book and suddenly “Stop Reading” at an extremely exciting part. Leave them hanging in stories. Talk to them about the books you are reading. Give them access to books, lots and lots of book. Gather books that are below their reading level and have them “hanging around”. You, mom, pick up children’s literature and read silently to yourself. Let your kids see that there are no age-appropriate kid’s books. Help them see that a good book is simply that, a good book. Even though we took a very laid back approach to teaching this guy to read, I was still shocked when the lightbulb finally came on. His progress from zero to a million miles an hour? FIRST, he fell in love with the Magic Tree House Series. As a matter of fact he has read 1-2 books every day until he completed all the book in the house. Next, he just kept going. After the first 20-ish books were devoured, he began reaching for bigger and bigger books. Fast forward to today… He reads no less than 2 hours a day, has the HIGHEST reading comprehension out of all the boys in our family, and is an amazing writer. Do you have a reluctant reader? Keep reading to them. Supply them with lots of books. Visit the library. Often. Leave ’em hanging in a story. Just never give up. They will read. Never make it a negative, reading is fun. Every child learns to read at their own pace, and for some, the journey to literacy may be a bit delayed. Delayed readers, as we affectionately call them, are those who take a little longer to grasp the art of reading compared to their peers. While it can be a source of concern for parents and educators, it’s crucial to remember that this is entirely normal. In fact, patience and support are the keys to helping delayed readers flourish. The only thing that matters is THAT they learn to read. Help for Homeschoolers!
Hooked on Phonics Really Works Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. When our oldest son was 4 my husband and I splurged on Hooked on Phonics. At the Time the system was a stretch for our budget, but honestly this was one of the best things we have ever purchased. All 5 of our boys have either learned to read or become stronger readers with the Hooked on Phonics system. The activities, workbooks and readers are colorful, engaging and really work. My youngest son is finally deep into the workbooks. He has been our most reluctant reader. The good news is that once again, the program is yielding results. I am pretty sure my future grandkids are going to reap the benefit of that original purchase!