Elizabeth is a clever girl, she knows her phonics but still struggles to read. I have spent the last few weeks since we started home schooling focusing on her reading as this is the one place that I think she needs to really improve.
After many conversations it seems that the real problem is not that she is unable to read bu more that she doesn’t want to try. Her reasoning is that if she starts reading then we will stop reading to her.
Obviously that is not the case and after agreeing that for each book she reads to us we will read a book to her we have seen some improvement. We went into town today to get some foam letters to build words in the bath and whilst there we looked at all the books in WH Smith. I spent sometime showing her the fabulous sets of books that would be available to her when she learns to read more words and she was very excited at the prospect. She loves the look of books like the princess ponies or the rainbow fairies and I am hoping that we will be able to enjoy these stories together soon.
In the mean time we have created a reward chart for each of the girls. The charts are not for good behaviour, toilet training or sleeping through the night like other reward charts we have used, these are reading charts. For each book they read they get a sticker when the chart is full they can have a special treat. To make it relevant we will allow them to go to a book shop and buy themselves a book of their choice, Elizabeth already has a long list so hopefully this will spur her on to try harder.
Do you have any other advice to get my reluctant reader reading?
After many conversations it seems that the real problem is not that she is unable to read bu more that she doesn’t want to try. Her reasoning is that if she starts reading then we will stop reading to her.
Obviously that is not the case and after agreeing that for each book she reads to us we will read a book to her we have seen some improvement. We went into town today to get some foam letters to build words in the bath and whilst there we looked at all the books in WH Smith. I spent sometime showing her the fabulous sets of books that would be available to her when she learns to read more words and she was very excited at the prospect. She loves the look of books like the princess ponies or the rainbow fairies and I am hoping that we will be able to enjoy these stories together soon.
In the mean time we have created a reward chart for each of the girls. The charts are not for good behaviour, toilet training or sleeping through the night like other reward charts we have used, these are reading charts. For each book they read they get a sticker when the chart is full they can have a special treat. To make it relevant we will allow them to go to a book shop and buy themselves a book of their choice, Elizabeth already has a long list so hopefully this will spur her on to try harder.
Do you have any other advice to get my reluctant reader reading?
By Laura Seaton