How To Get Children To Read

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

of course it has to be said that i know most parents/teachers are just concerned but sometimes too much of that does more harm than good and it depends so much on the child and the age..even the place. that to say one way is right would be irresponisble

 

[nixie]

Library every week for 4 years, bribes, threats, dragging around books shops.Nothing ever worked.Remember discussing it with a teacher when he was around six, I honestly thought he couldn't read, when I used to try and get him to read his reading books to me I was meet by a wall of silence.His teacher explained it wasn't the fact he couldn't read more that he didn't want to.

 

[Marky Lazer]

How do you get your children to read?

Whipping.

 

[Alia]

Oh... yes, lets resort to physical violence to teach our children the joys of reading! I don't see how that would be effective or funny if that's what you were trying to be, Marky.

 

[Marky Lazer]

OK, in normal language, when no one understands me when I talk Mark-speech...

I was trying to say, if kids do not like to read, you can try to force them, but it will only make them think reading is bad. So, do not do it.

 

[Alia]

OK, in normal language, when no one understands me when I talk Mark-speech...

I was trying to say, if kids do not like to read, you can try to force them, but it will only make them think reading is bad. So, do not do it.

Thank you Marky for the clarification. It sounds so much better that way.

And I'm sorry if I sounded harsh... it's been a tough day with the two year old.

 

[Nesacat]

Reading at bedtime is very comforting. maybe it's the rhythm of familiar words and sounds and pictures in a book. Maybe it's having someone you love to yourself for a while in a pool of quiet at the end of the day. The children may not grow up into readers but I believe the memories here will stay and they will do the same with their children. It forges lasting bonds.

As for comics. Those were what got me hooked. They were what my mother used to read. And we still have them, battered and stitched together though they are. They were a series os comics based on Hindu mythology published by Amar Chitra Katha. Comics seem to receive a lot of bad press but I feel that they are a good place to begin reading and a wonderful stepping stone, especially today when many novels are being turned into graphic examples. There's Mort and the Hobbit for instance.

There's so much reading material out there in so many different forms and while we can bring books home, leave them in piles round the house, make trips to the library exciting, we can't force them to read. I believe they will read when and if they find a book they desire to read.

 

[jackokent]

The most important tip in my opinion? Don't let your kids watch TV indiscriminently and constantly. For a long time I thought this didn't matter, because I grew up watching TV and certainly watch a lot of it now, and I've been a reader all my life. I now think differently because I think the amount of TV viewing has changed from when I was a kid. TV is SO ubiquitous, and so commercial that I do think it damages children. Watching too much tv not only takes up time they can be reading (or doing something else, like spending time with family or doing something active), it shortens their attention span and ruins their concentration.

So, good luck with that book thing! This is my first post, too btw.

Welcome Cloud

I agree with you. Too much TV all together.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I tend to agree with Carlotta that TV is given too much of the blame. It makes a convenient scapegoat, that's for sure. We hear people say that TV is the culprit so often, there's a tendency to take it for granted as incontrovertible truth.

But children have so many other sources of amusement that they didn't have when I was growing up. As Cloud says, there were fewer TV shows that were likely to appeal to children back in the day; certainly that was true in the '50s when I was growing up. And no computers, or video games, or iPods, or ... well, the list goes on. With all that time on our hands, you would think my generation would all be voracious readers, but that just is not the case at all.

The kids who lived next door to us, none of them had a love of books, although there were plenty of good children's and YA books in their house -- I know this, because I borrowed a lot of them. And my older brother and sister, they don't read much either; I don't believe that I've ever seen my sister pick up a piece of fiction and read it in my entire life. I have many fond memories of my father reading to me when I was small, so it's more than likely that he read to them, too, when they were little, and naturally they had access to the same books that I did. As for TV, they're both in their sixties now, so you can imagine how much of that they were able to watch at an early age. (I remember the first time I ever saw a TV; it was at a neighbor's house, when I was about 3, which means my older siblings would have been 9 and 11.) I love to read, and they don't. It's hard to see how TV could have been a factor; they simply found other interests, and continued to be interested in those things instead of in books.

In the end, all parents can do is encourage their children to read, and make the books available -- after that it's just a case of individual personalities. To let parents whose children did not pick up the habit in spite of all their encouragement feel that they are to blame -- because they let their children watch too much TV, or whatever reason -- just isn't fair.

 

[Marya]

I remember participating in the summer reading program every year at my local library. They put your name up on a big sheet of paper that got hung on the wall. For every number of books you read, you got a sticker and at the end, you got a certificate for participating. I think on that now and wonder how well it would go over today. I remember thinking how cool it was to see my name up and all the stickers behind it from all the books I read.

 

[j d worthington]

The libraries here still tend to do that sort of thing... I don't quite know how well it works, but it is pretty much an annual tradition...

 

[Rosemary]

We have a similar thing in some of our libraries during the school holidays. During school days, many reading classes are held in the public library or in the schools own library. Most of the children seem to enjoy it.

My parents didn't have a TV when I was little, nor did many of my friends. Bedtime stories was a way of life for me but how I loved it...There was also a special 'story reading for children' on the radio which I looked forward to.
My parents were avid readers and I honestly can't think of a time when I was without a book to read.

I also participated in bedtime stories with my son, and now with my Granddaughters. All of them love reading at the moment and I hope they will continue to enjoy it...

 

[the smiling weirwood]

If they don't want to read, good! More books for me.

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

Thank you Marky for the clarification. It sounds so much better that way.

And I'm sorry if I sounded harsh... it's been a tough day with the two year old.

a) i thought markys comment was amusing
b) all two year olds are tough ( the good ole terrible two's)

 

[jackokent]

I think the most effective thing my parents ever did was tell me reading wasn't very easy and I might find it difficult to read and understand certain books (ie the ones they wanted me to read). By throwing down the challenge they made sure I was going to read them or die in the act. This got me reading very young.

They did however also ban having a TV in the house. I am not saying TV is the complete evil it is made out to be but I like to read and yet I find myself mesmerised by the TV sometimes. For a child who might find reading more a struggle I think it would be even harder to choose the book over the TV. Many parents plonk their children infront of the TV these days and treat is like a babysitter. You can see why kids don't bother with books if this is the case.

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

but you take tv away from a child today to make them read there are gunan see having 'read the stupid book' as why they cant wacth tv..


you can't punish a child for not having the same hobby as you

i'm al lfor cutting down SOME childrens tv time but not because you don't like how much they read. Reading isn;t for everyone and giving your child the meotional equivalent to markys whipping ( not Taking away tv ness) is no way the answer

 

[jackokent]

I wouldn't call taking a TV away a mental whipping. I'd call it forcing yourself to have to have input into your childs developemnet instead of plonking them infront of a box. For my part I didn't have a TV to take away, we just never had one to start with. And whillst maybe taking it away might seem extreme, so for me, is the sheer amount of laziness some people display in using it as a childminder.

I don't expect my children to have the same hobbies as me (actually I don't have any children anyway). I just worry that by putting them infront of the really easy entertainment they are not going to want to go looking for anything else and that would not be allowing them to explore all the oportunities they have. If they don't like reading after giving it a go so be it.

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

most children wil lpick the t.v weehter you like it or not

and punishing your child whos normal well adjusted and not do anything wrong is never a good thing..sure cut down T.V time for health reasons or to broaden there interests but some of these suggestions are quite worrying. in that you've all assumed that becasue your child doesnt want to read theres something wrong..

 

[mosaix]

I think the most effective thing my parents ever did was tell me reading wasn't very easy and I might find it difficult to read and understand certain books (ie the ones they wanted me to read). By throwing down the challenge they made sure I was going to read them or die in the act. This got me reading very young.

They did however also ban having a TV in the house. I am not saying TV is the complete evil it is made out to be but I like to read and yet I find myself mesmerised by the TV sometimes. For a child who might find reading more a struggle I think it would be even harder to choose the book over the TV. Many parents plonk their children infront of the TV these days and treat is like a babysitter. You can see why kids don't bother with books if this is the case.

This is a good post Jacko.

With my own kids (two), up to the age of about 12 each family member could choose 1 hours TV a day that they wanted to watch, the rest of the time the telly was off. Everyone was free to watch every one elses choice if they wanted to. If the adults chose a program after the kid's bed time (usually the case) - hard luck.

Your point about the babysitter is especially true and it's not just about the TV replacing the books, it replaces quality time with the parents as well.

 

[jackokent]

most children wil lpick the t.v weehter you like it or not

and punishing your child whos normal well adjusted and not do anything wrong is never a good thing..sure cut down T.V time for health reasons or to broaden there interests but some of these suggestions are quite worrying. in that you've all assumed that becasue your child doesnt want to read theres something wrong..

You seem to be equating not having TV with punishment. I call not spending quaity time on your childs developemnet punishment. I certainly did not feel punished not having the TV as my parents did fun things with me that I enjoyed more.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with not choosing to read, I am saying there is something wrong with a child not being properly encouraged to see reading as an alternative option to TV.

As Mosaix has pointed out, using the TV as a baysitter not only cuts down on the developement but cuts down on quality time with the parent if you are not carefull.