TIPS FROM A TUTOR TO KEEP KIDS READING
by Michele Ranard, M.Ed.
1165 words
As a tutor, I am often asked by
parents how to keep kids reading when they are away from the classroom so their
skills remain fresh and even to stay ahead so they are prepared for the next
school year. Tutoring is always an excellent option, but there are plenty of
ways to promote reading skills at home without this expense.
The most important thing you can do
is consistently provide exposure to reading and language every single day.
Integrating more reading into children's daily lives will expand their
vocabularies, help them develop a sense of sequence and patterns, and increase
their attention spans. Keep the following tips in mind:
Think variety. Instead of staying limited to chapter books within their
reading level or the same fiction they typically gravitate toward, encourage
them to consider the myriad of choices. Together, explore the diverse variety
of books and magazines at the bookstore, online, and at the library. The
exposure to multiple types of print and genres stretches readers and will offer
options they may not have considered otherwise.
For example, if your student loves
the science fiction genre, introduce her to astronomy books and sites like
NASA’s (http://nasa.gov). Is it spaceships that fascinate? Perhaps they will
enjoy reading about aeronautical engineering topics.
Make reading inviting. Do they prefer e-tablets? Then by all means, encourage
this! You can also set up cozy reading areas in different parts of your home
(every room if possible!) so that kids are drawn to read books without being
asked to do so. Let them build forts equipped with books, flashlights and
pillows for hours of escape. A teepee or a huge pile of pillows makes the
perfect nest to get lost in a story.
If you are really desperate for a
dreamy tent of all reading tents, watch The
Holiday and take mental notes of that incredible one Jude Law’s daughters
in the film play inside.
Be a matchmaker. Be sensitive to kids' interests to match them up with
books. If they are passionate about playing baseball, visit the library and seek
titles about the subject. If there is a television show or movie they are
especially moved by, find related books so they can explore further.
Bestselling author Jim Patterson
offers this advice (2011) to parents for resources to find books: “ReadKiddoRead.com, GuysRead.com, and Oprah.com's Kids
Reading List are excellent resources, and they're simpler to use than an
iPhone. The American Library
Association and the Young Adult Library
Services Association have recommendations for terrific books, easily found by
searching "ALA reading lists." DropEverythingandRead.com
has a "Favorite D.E.A.R. Books" tab on its home page.”
Bend the rules. It’s okay to occasionally bend the rules at bedtime (maybe
an extra 20 minutes) to encourage reading in bed. Make sure their reading
material at night is not scary or apt to give them bad dreams.
Think back to your own childhood and
special late nights when you may have not been able to put down a life changing
book. As a 7-year-old, I personally loved to read and reread Andrew Henry’s Meadow as I was in love
with the idea of having a special little house of my own away from my family’s
busy and over-stimulating household.
Extra
help for boys. Since current research suggest boys
may be getting worse at reading, it is more important than ever that they find
reading which is of special interest to them. Guys Read (http://www.guysread.com/) is a website devoted to a collection of book titles that
many guys have reported they like. “Outer Space Except With Aliens,” “At Least
One Explosion,” or “Mysterious Occurrences” are just a few categories dudes
will discover on this awesome site.
Bag the books. Have a tote full of books in the car or near the door so
that there are always books on hand to read for errands, appointments and moments
when kids may be waiting. E-tablets may be replacing a bag of books, but do not
underestimate the power of engaging illustrations and the joy of turning pages.
Don't sweat reading levels. Do not be overly concerned with the reading level of the
material your child chooses. You want kids to fall in love with reading and not
be turned off by limits. So don't worry if your child turns to some selections
you consider too juvenile or advanced. Do they want to read it? Let them read
it!
Read aloud. Be willing to read aloud to your children even if a part of
you feels they are way too old for it because they are not. When reading aloud
to older children you can stop and ask questions and check for understanding.
Hearing language and new vocabulary and forming images as they listen counts
and matters. Don't limit reading aloud to bedtime either. You could make it an
after-dinner or breakfast ritual.
One of my favorite read alouds with
my tutoring students over the years is Granny
Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech (2005). A charming Italian grandmother
imparts cooking and life advice to her angsty tween, and if you can pull off an
Italian accent, you will enrich the storytelling even more and have your kids
entranced!
Don't be a hypocrite. You already know this, but I am going to nag further. Get
caught reading. Practice what you preach to reinforce the habit. Let your
children witness you reading your Nook, novels, the paper, magazines, recipes,
and mail. Point out street signs and billboards when you're in the car and ask questions
to check for understanding.
It is always curious to me when
parents who enroll their student in tutoring for reading fail to see a
connection between their own reticence to read and their child’s. Rome wasn’t
built in a day, and it’s okay to take baby steps, but make sure they see those
baby steps.
Celebrate. Use your judgment as your kids may not need any reward
program in place to motivate them. If they do, instead of setting a huge goal
(100 books read by end of summer!), think more realistically and shorter term.
Set an achievable weekly goal and a reasonable weekly reward.
Pay attention to current research. Sometimes it is simply one click away. Visit Reading Rockets (http://www.readingrockets.org/)
for a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities to help kids read better.
You will find awesome ideas to build fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Be prepared for occasional whining. There are bound to be moments when kids are simply not in
the mood to read. Have alternative language-building activities in mind for such
times. Let them dictate a story and then read it back to them. Or ask them to
write 50 words that begin with "B." Work on a crossword puzzle
together. The idea is to stay immersed in words, letters and language every
day.
All of these tips will help your
child feel more confident and lend themselves to opportunities for high-quality
connection with your child — which is always time well spent.
Michele Ranard is a freelance writer
who has worked as an academic tutor for a decade. She has a husband, two sons
and a master's degree in counseling.
Resources
Burn, Doris. Andrew
Henry’s Meadow. San Juan Publishing. 1965.Creech, Sharon. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup. Harper Collins. 2005.
Patterson, James. How to Get Your Kid to Be a Fanatic Reader. CNN. September 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading/index.html.
Reading Rockets. http://www.readingrockets.org/.
