Name: Teach Them Diligently (Branson)
Start: 2025-05-15T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-17T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Branson, MO

Tagged: book choices, Reluctant Reader

This topic has 16 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 4 months ago by cdm2kk.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)

1 2 →

Author
Posts
April 25, 2013 at 12:18 pm
nerakr
Participant
Ds is 9 and completing 3rd grade work. Dh and I are encouraging him to read longer chapter books such as the Animal Ark series by Ben Baglio (I know, not quality lit but we have to start somewhere) or the Beverly Cleary books that I haven’t read to him. (I told him if he wants more, he has to read them himself). Or even longer chapter-less biographies such as those put out by Troll Publishing. But all he wants to read is Berenstain Bears and books along that line or the picture books I’ve been reading to him since he was three.
When we are at my parents’ house, he heads straight for the B Bears. If I correct him, I am told to “let him read what he wants.”
So, who’s right? Do dh and I continue as we’ve been doing? Do I get rid of the Berenstain Bears instead of moving them to dd’s room? (She’s almost six). I don’t want to get rid of the picture books; I’m still using them with dd. Or do I let him read them until he decides they’re babyish? I think ds just doesn’t want to try anything hard and is fighting our efforts to push him.
TIA,
Karen
April 25, 2013 at 12:52 pm
Laura.bora
Participant
I would let him read what he wants in his spare time. What I do is have one assigned literature book that they are required to read for a certain amount of time a day. That way, I am certain they are getting the practice needed to continue to grow in their reading abilities, and are reading books that they wouldn’t necessarily pull off the shelf themselves. I try to make sure that they are books that they will enjoy. But my 10 year old (moving into 6th grade this July – where does the time go!!??), still enjoys picking up picture books to read in his down time. It’s not the only thing he reads, but eventually, he’ll lose interest in the picture books and move on. I mean, most 15 year olds aren’t picking up picture books to read, unless it’s for nastalgia purposes or to read to a younger sibling. So let him enjoy the books he wants to while he still has the interest.
April 25, 2013 at 1:01 pm
Tristan
Participant
I agree with Laura.bora, we allow our children to read books of their choice on any age level in free time but also have an assigned book they must read each day that is on the level they need to practice or are at. So my 6th, 2nd, and 1st grader each have 20 minutes a day reading a chapter book, but outside of that time they can read that book or others (picture or not).
April 25, 2013 at 1:05 pm
Shannon
Participant
I would also let him read what he wants…of the books you have deemed alright in quality. If you feel BB is good to read to his younger sister, then keep them. I have often heard of using this logic for other books – Adventures of Captain Underpants in particular. I won’t read that to my kids and would never let them read it Even If it meant they were eager to read at a time when they aren’t interested in anything else. My 7yo just read his first book he picked out from the library…and it was B. Bears!
April 25, 2013 at 1:06 pm
HollyS
Participant
My DC also have an assigned book. They read a chapter a day as part of their 3Rs studies. At bedtime (or free time), they are allowed to choose their own books…Usually they want to read picture books at this time. 😉
April 25, 2013 at 2:13 pm
missceegee
Participant
I assign my children’s reading for school and they choose their free reading from an approved list. However, as they grow, they gravitate to great books because that is what they are accustomed to. If they were accustomed to twaddle, well…
Here is an article by Lindafay Johnson – Hard Books and Uniterested Children – that you may find helpful.
April 25, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Tristan
Participant
Did want to say I agree, we have definite standards on what books they can read in free time. We’re pretty twaddle free here, so any book they pull off the shelf in free reading is okay to read. Things like Captain Underpants, or even tv character themed books (think easy readers centered around My Little Ponies, etc) are not under our roof.
April 25, 2013 at 3:21 pm
Shannon
Participant
That Captain Underpants is the one that seems to always come up in my local homeschool community as ‘we don’t usually allow books like this but it is getting my boy to read and he loves it!!!’ Sigh. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He will eventually choose books of a different caliber. I’d love to know how he is doing in 6-12 months!
November 22, 2013 at 12:00 pm
nerakr
Participant
I’m reviving this thread b/c it’s been 7 months and he still won’t read his assigned book regularly. It took him three months to finish The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Now he’s working on its sequel, Runaway Ralph. I’ve tried several approaches and have even told him he can read what he wants after he’s read one chapter. But days will go by with the book untouched. I’m ready to resort to bribery!
The thing is, he will most likely be spending this coming summer with his grands again, getting an animal ready for the fair. They think that since he is homeschooled and behind in math, spelling, and writing that he can’t read either. But reading is actually something he does fairly well. He taught himself to read so he’s not good at sounding out new words, but he does fairly well otherwise.
It worked OK when I sat with him and let him read aloud. Maybe I should go back to that, If I tell him to read silently and tell me about it, it may or may not get done. I’m just thinking ahead to next year; I want to be able to assign some (not all) of his history and/or science independently and know it will get done.
I’ve even moved some science readers into the book basket. They have gone untouched. He knows they’re there, though.
He wants to go with me to the library. When he asks what he can check out, I tell him it has to be a chapter book or nonfiction (from the “big kid” section). He goes home empty-handed, not even willing to look. If I check out something for him, it goes untouched.
November 22, 2013 at 12:18 pm
nebby
Participant
On one hand, I tend to think this is the sort of thing a kid will outgrow or snap out of some day. On the other it sounds like he can go days without doing what you assign him. Are there consequences? I would say its part of his schoolwork and it needs to get done before he can do other things. But I also might see of there are some shorter books I can get him to read. Beverly Cleary’s are not the shortest. We have used Dick King-Smith’s books and Thornton Burgess’ ones along the lines of “the story of such and such an animal.”
Nebby
http://www.lettersfromnebby.wordpress.com
November 22, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Tristan
Participant
I may be misunderstanding, but it sounds like you leave the assigned book to be read on his terms, not yours. The way we do it is the child has to read from their assigned book daily for a set length of time. If they don’t then their school work is not done and consequences result. (For example, we often tie finishing an assignment to the next meal time – finish the assignment and then you can eat. But if you don’t get done in time to join us for the meal we’ll see you at the next meal time – IF you’ve finished that assignment by then.
November 22, 2013 at 1:16 pm
Laura.bora
Participant
We too require the assigned book to be done (we vary from daily to every other day depending on our school schedule), and if it is not done when asked, then there would be consequences. Just like if I told them to do their math or spelling or clean their room and they refused. I usually have a set time where they need to read – I do 5 minutes per grade level.
November 22, 2013 at 1:17 pm
missceegee
Participant
I agree with Tristan. Not doing assigned schoolwork equals consequences. I would require him to sit for a specified length of time at a specific time of day and do nothing but read his assigned book(s). Then at another time, require him to sit and read for free time. DO NOT give up having him read to you just because he can read! You need to know when he’s bumping into trouble spots so you can work on it. He need not read everything aloud, but something.
Also, I am not a fan of twaddle. There is too much good literature to choose from that there isn’t time for the twaddle. Also, reading twaddle seems to set the stage for wanting only twaddle. (We have a b. Bears science book we love & Ralph Mouse books. I’m speaking in general). Raise the bar a bit, set achievable expectations, then make sure he’s doing the work. I would have a serious talk with him explaining this is his “job” for the next — years and he is expected to do his best.
Determine consequences and stick with them. It sounds like he really looks forward to spending summers with grandparents, but they aren’t behind you 100%. In my family, I would go so far as to say that if his reading weren’t done consistently every day, he couldn’t go. Then he has something BIG to work toward. If he earned the privilege of going, I would lay out a list of expected reading to be done daily while there and ask for narrations via phone. Not doing the work would equal coming home early. It may sound harsh, but reading is such an important foundational skill that in my house it trumps all things extra.
Again, this is just what I would do in my family. You know yours best.
Blessings,
Christie
Sorry for any typos as I’m on my phone today.
November 22, 2013 at 2:14 pm
cdm2kk
Participant
I would let him read whatever from an acceptable selection of books for free reading. My kids still like B. Bear books and the only thing I dislike is that the dad isn’t written as a strong head of the family figure, but otherwise the books are cute. My son was not into reading much unless I was reading. He didn’t want to do the work. I found that if I read it with him, it helped. We played reading games….So I start out and I will just stop and he is expected to pick up where I left off without a pause. This gets him to not only listen to the story, but following along with the words. He has to at least read 5 words before he can randomly stop and which point I start in again etc. pretty fun. I have also done it where he reads all the four letter words or smaller etc…. and I read everything bigger. If you need another change of pace, you do a sentence then he does a sentence. This has him paying attention to punctuation. My son loves this. Well after about 4-5 chapter books and a larger book about 400 pages, he is now hooked and has started migrating to reading on his own rather than wait on me. I bought a stick up book lite to stick to the under side of his upper bunk and so that was also a motivator. LOL Anyway, I bought the 2nd grade Sonlight reader package and the curriculum has student read a chapter a night, but he is reading the whole reader. I am letting him go at his own pace and I am sure he will burn out soon, but i am just so thrilled. Oh also another trick I do when I am reading out loud to the kids is that I stop the night’s reading about 1 to 2 paragraphs from the end of the chapter. This is usually the good part and it leaves them wanting more. Torturous, yes, but very effective!! HTH
I say pick your battles, as long as he is doing his school assignments, then free read time should not become a power struggle. Now school assignments should not be optional and consequencees should apply and usually a 3rd grader isn’t responsible enough to complete assignments without some accountability. Goodness, I know some college age kids that aren’t ready for that! LOL This age it should be fun and enjoyable and exciting so that the learning is done as a by product. Just my 2 cents.
November 22, 2013 at 3:30 pm
HSMAMA
Participant
“But reading is actually something he does fairly well. He taught himself to read so he’s not good at sounding out new words, but he does fairly well otherwise.”
This is what jumped out at me. Are you working on phonics with him? If he’s having trouble sounding out words, his graviational pull towards picture books makes complete sense because he can use the pictures as reading clues. When words don’t make sense, it’s like reading a foreign language. Our eyes would eventually blur and we’d grow tired of trying to figure it out.
“He wants to go with me to the library. When he asks what he can check out, I tell him it has to be a chapter book or nonfiction (from the “big kid” section). He goes home empty-handed, not even willing to look. If I check out something for him, it goes untouched.”
This tells me that he is not avoiding reading. He wants to read, but he is also being told that his choices aren’t good enough. I am opposite-CM when it comes to “twaddle”. I don’t really believe in it, for the most part. I think all reading can be beneficial. I prefer to expose my kids to all types of books. We have compared great books to not-so-great books and had some wonderful discussions. You can also pick up wonderful golden nuggets from stories that are other-wise less than stellar. BB for example are lovely, in my honest opinion. They are wholesome and value teaching and easy to enjoy. *ducking now*