I don't know about your kids but when Danika gets home from school the last thing she wants to do is more work. Well the rule in our home is to get it done before she plays. It's always me pushing her to do it. When she is done with her paper work she still has twenty minutes of reading to do. I feel bad, she just wants to play with her brothers after school. I too find it tough to sit with her to help her read for twenty minutes with the other kids bouncing around. Plus she gets home close to four and that's when I start making dinner. I wish she had a love of reading but she doesn't (maybe she gets that from me). Ever since she was little we would go every week to the library and get books. I think she likes books read to her but she herself doesn't want to read them. I don't want to be a Nazi mom but I know it's important for HER to read. I get books that interest her (ex: princess, fairies) but she would rather play. What do you think I should do? What do you do? Any advice? Signed: Slightly frustrated
He he I've always wanted to write something like that.
PS- Please don't tell me you've never had a problem and that your child is an angel reader.... If that's the case then just make up a story....that will make me feel better.
8 comments:
I don't have kids old enough to have to worry about this at home, but I did elementary education. Make a little game out of it. Of course, the one I am thinking would require you to read the book she is reading also. Have her come up with some questions after reading and ask you to see if you know the answers, or ask her some questions about it after she reads a chapter.
Maybe get her to read to her brothers and then play with them (I know that would be a stretch for Jacob...Luke might last for a little while).
Have a chart to put stickers on. Give her a sticker for every ten minutes she reads on her own and when she gets a certain amount of stickers she gets a little prize (even if it is something simple like not having to do one chore that week...I don't know what your chores are, but maybe one day she doesn't make her bed or something, or a special trip to the store with just Mom). Start with a small amount of stickers to get the prize so she keeps motivated and then work your way up to needing more in order to earn the prize.
Maybe start her in a series (I'm can't think of what would be her level right now, but something like The Boxcar Children at a younger level...Junie B. Jones, maybe?) Read the beginning of a book to her so she is intrigued and wants to know what happens and then set her on her own to finish it.
I don't know if any of these ideas are helpful and I know this comment is getting really long. The teacher in me came out when you talked about getting kids to read. I haven't been in a classroom for three years. Her teacher has been there much more recently (obviously) and maybe she would have some helpful ideas too. Good luck!
my mom always got me books on tape, well it was the 80's. And I got headphones so she didn't have to listen to the annoying voices. So I could follow along with the voices and the "beep" sound told me to turn the pages. I remember reading along with the book because the narrator read a little slower than my mom. I hate to brag but in grade two I was reading at a grade 7 seven level. I read a bizillion books on tape. I guess it would be a compromise, you wouldn't have to read with her so you can do other things but somebody is still reading to her.
My child is an angel reader...but homework is a struggle. Especially when it is nice outside, friends are out, and they are stuck doing their stupid homework. We figured this out last year, and hopefully what works for us might give you some ideas.
My boys have to do their paper homework as soon as they get home from school. Then they can play. I have them do their reading in the evening. We have a few ways of doing this. They can read a book while I am making dinner, or they can read to their little brothers while I am making dinner. This really helps me out. I have them do it at the kitchen table and read out loud so that I can hear them. It also entertains their little bros and I can get dinner on the table. We've all read a few chapter books together and we took turns reading. We also read scriptures every night (mostly) as a family. We have them follow along and read when it is their turn. That just what works for us. Good luck!
Ashlyn doesn't have any friends around here so it isn't ever an issue with the homework. HOwever after homework we usually make her read but I have gotten to the point that I will let her play and then have her read 20 minutes before bed. Some days because we are reading the scriptures every day I count that. All it says is that the child read or is read to for 20 minutes. I do count scriptures as part of that. anyway I hope it gets easier for her. Good luck!
Last year was TERRIBLE trying to get Brayden to do his homework. It was a 4 hour nag session every day. We seriously just quit doing homework about a month before school ended because I couldn't take it anymore. He was doing fine in school, and understood everything, so his teacher told us it was OK to lay off the homework...after all, childhood wasn't meant for six hours of school, and then four hours of homework!
This year, since he's been on medication for OCD, it hasn't been a battle at all. It's also easier because I have two doing homework, so they both have to stop playing and get it done. Dillon has decided on his own that HIS homework is coloring, so while "his boys" do homework, he colors at the table with them.
My kids get home at 3:00. They have until 3:30 to relax and have a snack, and then we do homework at 3:30. If their homework AND chores are done by 4:30, they get tokens to buy computer/TV time or prizes. The rest of the evening is play time.
Bedtime for my kids is between 7:30 and 8:00...BUT, they don't have to turn off the lights and go to sleep until 8:30. During that time they are allowed to read in bed, and they love it (it's better than going to bed!) so that's when they get their reading done. Sometimes Brayden will read to Caleb.
My neighbor's girls LOVE Junie B. Jones. Brayden reads the Magic Tree House series, and Caleb reads whatever simple books he can right now.
Another idea, for reading scriptures, is the CD-ROM of the children's Book of Mormon from the distribution center. My kids love it because it's their only "free" computer time. It just shows the still pictures, and then reads the words below (I think it might even highlight them). Anyway, that's how Caleb and Dillon do their "personal scripture study". Brayden reads out of the manual (the one with the pictures).
We don't do very well with family scripture study...and that's my fault, but reading together as a family would also be helpful in getting kids to enjoy reading.
Here's a thought?? Would Danika maybe enjoy reading those scripture stories if she were helping to prepare for a FHE lesson? Or if she could make puppets or visuals after reading?
When I was an achievement days leader for the 8 year olds, they LOVED making FHE lessons where they could make the visuals.
Thanks for all the ideas. I think I may to do a chart with the stickers and a prize. We do have scripture study every morning at 7:30. The kids only read a few verses while Kevin and I read the rest. So I never count it. Some of you mentioned Junie B. Jones, I wasn't fond of it. She doesn't talk proper or politely.
My mom had me read Nasty Stinky Sneakers when I was in fourth grade and that started me out as a reader. I liked reading before then, but that book was the best I have ever read. I still like to open it up and read it. It is by Eve Bunting I believe.
Joseph has a hard time with that as well and I started as soon as he gets home setting a timer for 20min.and letting him play to relax but when the timer goes off he has to come back and do homework and read. I have found that homework goes alot smoother that way.. It's worth a try it has helped alot
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