Mar. 12 2008 11:25 pm
What is to be done with children who simply have no interest in reading?
First, let's recognize that this question has to do with a child's disposition rather than the ability to read.
It is a critical distinction, because whether or not one wants to learn and feels comfortable about learning can open or close the door to knowledge.
The idea of volition is crucial. The old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" may be cliché, but it is nonetheless true.
To get disengaged youngsters to drink from the reservoir of knowledge provided by reading calls for a strategy.
To begin, find out what interests the child. No matter if we are talking about sports, romance, outer space, computer games, science, rap artists, history or fashion design, there are reading materials to suit every interest written at varying levels of reading ability.
Keep this in mind, the reading experience for a child has to be as entertaining as the TV show American Idol or the video game Halo.
Once a child's genuine interest has been established, check out the places where reading materials are plentiful and accessible.
So where do you find books? Obvious places are the child's school, the public library and book stores.
Daily sources of reading material can also be found in your newspaper or on Internet sites - sites which children observe you reading.
Reading with children and having children see you reading alone make you a powerful role model.
Having brothers, sisters or a child's friends share reading experiences is a way of helping less-proficient readers, over time, appreciate and improve their reading skills.
Now that we have found where to locate reading materials and who can join in the group reading process, the next question is how often should a child read?
As for parents, they should encourage a daily reading experience and plan for it just as they schedule breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A regular reading time in a quiet, well-lighted, inviting environment can begin a lifelong reading habit.
As for the school, every child should have the opportunity to read aloud with classmates as well as read silently every day.
Finally, don't forget that sharing what we learn from reading is a way to "prime the pump" for more reading.
Once a child is excited about what he or she reads and expresses a viewpoint, there always seems to be the desire to relive that experience along with a need to find out and read more.
Surprise resident Mark Ryan has taught at all levels from elementary classes to university seminars. Contact him at his blog: www.wvblogs.azcentral.com with your questions. Visit www.drmarkryan.com/ for Ryan's book 'Ask the Teacher.'
Developing an interest in
Developing an interest in reading is definitely a difficult thing for many children today, since they are bombarded constantly by so many different forms of media. The biggest things that we can do as parents is model good behaviors by turning the tv and radio off and actually reading ourselves. As life gets busier, it seems that there is definitely more of a challenge in that area. With our third child, we found we did not spend as much time reading with him early on and so he was not as drawn to doing it in his spare time as he got older. We now make a conscious effort to read books with him. Knowing what he is interested in and then finding books that compliment those interests have been key. We also make sure and take advantage of times like in orthodontist offices, between sports lessons etc...and we have a book or magazine on hand instead of a portable gaming system.