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my son and reading
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I have an interesting quandry. My 7 yr. old son LOVES to read and is about 2-3 years ahead in reading skills. He just took off w/it. Anyway, my situation is at bedtime we give them 1 hr. of reading time before lights go out. He loves trains and has the complete collection of the Thomas stories. He’s read it through 2x and is on his 3rd. Therein lies my question. I think he needs to expand his reading choices at night, but I don’t want to be overbearing about it because it is a time of joy reading. How could I redirest him, or should I, to more variety at night. BTW, during the day, he does read different books and those that I choose for him.
Thanks,
Rachel
I think that children enjoy having a time when they can just pick up a book (previously approved, of course) and read it for enjoyment. If you are really wanting him to read different books, you will have to dictate it. If you are just thinking maybe it would be nice, you may try strategically placing some books you would like him to try out in his stack of books. I’ve had many things read that may not necessarily be chosen just by spreading them out on the kitchen table at breakfast, left in children’s rooms, etc. It’s not that I’m trying to manipulate them, it’s that we all can get in a rut and not think of other choices unless one is laying right in front of us. Another thing that can spawn interest in a child is to tell a little of the story and whet their appetite for the rest of the story.
Hope this helps!
Cindy
I have had a similar experience. My daughter is a great reader, but most of the time, she picks up Hannah Montana or Junie B. Jones books! I really want to let her be free to choose her own free reading, so I’ve backed off. I just keep hoping that in our read aloud time, her interest in other books will be piqued. I know that I wouldn’t like to be told what to read in my free time, but I also like to get great recommendations!
Faith 🙂
When I wanted my boys to read more history…I’d let them listen to the book on audio at bedtime…the next thing they are looking for the chapter book or other related books to read on their own! Just a spark to light the fire! Lisa D.
I will say we are pretty strict about what books we allow to be read. We have very little twaddle in the house beyond board books and very beginning readers. I learned quickly that mine will pick up the easiest thing rather than something they might learn something from. I do believe it is important to have books that interest them and are just below their reading abilities for free reading. But, I do think we are the ones who need to choose what these books should be. If you want to get him more challenging books and he enjoys trains find some living books on trains that are easy enough for free reading and tell him you would like for him to read those instead. Then once that interest has been fulfilled do the same for whatever new interests arise.
I, too am strict about what books come into the house. The Thomas stories he reads are the originals written between the 1940’s and the 1970’s, so it’s not the Thomas books seen at the library that are so atrociously twaddle. I would just like to see him have some more variety. I read aloud from Lamplighter and yesterday’s classics books. He’s already read the first two Little House books and is requesting the third. We do alot of listening to audio books-last night he started listening to the recording of James Baldwins 50 Famous Stories, and he requested the next one tonight so it did my heart good. For him, he really gets interested in something new through an audiobook. He’s listened to all the Milne pooh stories and poetry, Pollyanna, Collection of unabridged Hans Christian Anderson, Jim Weiss’s 20,000 leagues under the sea, as well as some lighter choices like Raggedy Ann and Charlotte’s Web and hsradioshows on the computer. We listen to Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare together and he listens intently w/interest.
He reads words everywhere around him (which isn’t always a good thing!)and tries to help his sister. For Hanukkah we got him Exploring Creation with Astronomy for free reading. I have no trouble getting him to read during the day for “school”. When I tell him to read something specific during nap time he does. I’ve looked for living books on Trains and have not had any success which has been irritating because they’ve got to be out there. If any body knows of some PLEASE let me know! I just think that the precious time before bed is just that, precious. He has such ability and I am one of those who believes the saying of “so many books so little time”!
I love all of your responses so much and I think all of them are applicable. I will continue to offer him quality choices, continue w/the audio books and read aloud to him at first and then suggest that he is welcome to continue on his own. That was a good idea. I keep reading about moms having specific lists of books to read (other than “reading” practice) and when that I need to incorporate in our day. I just don’t know how. I would like to guide him toward Henty and the Ballantyne series (history is exciting!) as well as classic lit. authors Dickens, Stevenson, etc… I will continue to pray about the right approach so as not to create the opposite effect than what I’m trying to achieve.
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