How can I make reading interesting for my 6 year old?

Question

I am having trouble with my 6 year old. He is just not showing any interest at all in reading. I know it might just be a "boy thing" but it is starting to effect his grades in school. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could make it alittle more interesting for him or any tips on helping him learn how to read? Thanks!

Answer 1

First of all try to get him to read books about subjects he likes.

Second if he still has trouble reading, DO NOT use phonics and ask his teachers to stop if that's how they're doing it. People bash the old methods (see-say), but my aunt is a teacher, I tutor kids after school, and my very own sister is dyslexic so I kind of have some experience with this. Kids who have trouble reading ARE NOT helped by phonics. They are too busy trying to remember the "rules" about how to say it. Plus they're already having trouble ... they get all upset and discouraged when the "rules" don't work or they can't remember the right one fast enough. I have NEVER met a child who learned anything from phonics lessons besides the cute little jingles. Their brains are blank past that. There's no comprehension.

If that's how he's been learning do some research on other methods because that's obviously not working. I have to undo the damage caused by those stupid "rules" every day. The teachers spend all the reading time teaching them instead of actually reading with the kids. Why don't kids have any reading comprehension skills? Well, I don't know. Maybe it's related to their NEVER reading a complete story. How can they understand that when their only lessons are broken down into single words?

Here is how I teach them, and it usually works. Find a book they are interested in. Buy a new one, take them to get a library card (sometimes they think that's cool), or whatever it takes. Get them interested in a book. It doesn't matter if it's an encyclopedia or Dr. Seuss. Read it out loud with them. Explain the meaning of every word they don't know. Read it every day. Eventually they will start to memorize it. When that happens KEEP READING IT. One day it will click ... these words are on the page and they mean the same thing, and they all fit together to make this book. He will know that many more words from having read it, his confidence will be increased from understanding a whole book, and his reading comprehension skills will be much better.

Good luck. If you have more questions about how I teach reading you can email me. I am teaching my own 4-year-old nephew (nearly five) after a year of his preschool's "Early Reading Lessons" ... which were (guess what) phonics. He's totally lost right now but we're working on memorizing "One Fish, Two Fish".

Also turn on "closed captioning" on your TV. It will take some getting used to, but if he sees the words as he hears them during his favorite cartoons, it could help him to make the connection.

Answer 2

First, speak w/ his teacher. If the problem only lies with him not being interested but can basically read at his level, don't worry too much. Perhaps he likes oral storytelling. There are probably some great storytellers at your public library.

If he has problems reading, find out from his teacher why. Most parents teach their preschoolers the alphabet which is okay. However, a child will be better prepared if he is taught the sounds that coincide with the alphabet. (Spanish readers quickly learn how to read because Reading is taught phonetically. ) If the problem is reading, find out from your son's teacher how you can help. Perhaps, she may not be aware of the importance that phonetics has in helping children learn the basic reading skills. You would be surprised how many teachers aren't aware of the relationship between phonetics and symbols. Letters are after all just symbols.

Best thing to do when you find out the reason your child can't read, if that is the problem, is to expose him to oral storytelling. Most Kids just love it. I learned it well from my mother and my grandmother.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

give him a book he wants, go to the library or local bookstore, go to the "kids/preteen" section and just let him go wild, if you see a book he might like point it out to him, make it like a game. once you have a book picked out give him incentive to read it, tell him you will take him to see a movie or something as a reward for reading it, also help him... every night i would read him a chapter and stop when the book starts to get good for the night, that will stick in his mind all night and the next day so when he gets up/ back from school he will get cureous and pick it up, you might even read a page then have him read a page. or buy a few books he likes, read one of them to him, but let him read the other on his own with the reward... there are plenty of options, but the more you get him into it the better off he will be later on.


live
love
prosper

Answer 4

My little boy is 7 years old and he was not interested at all untill I took him to a school book fair and let him pick out his own books. He picked out spongebob phonics and he is doing really good. The best thing is even when they mess up don't scold them let him know the whole time he is really how great he is doing and how great he is really. If you keep doing that the whole time he is ready and also sit with him the whole time. He will eventually want to read just to hear how impressed you are (they love it when you are happy and proud). Well you could try this it worked for me good luck.

Answer 5

I am 17, but I have a really extended family and help out alot with the small kids.

My sister is four and I am teaching her to read. what I do is I will let her pick a book off my(a teens romance bookcase). She always picks my first book, Robin Hood. I read it to her alot and eventually she thought me being able to read to her was so cool, she wanted to read also.

What my parents started doing for me was require me to read a chapter of a book of my choice every night. (no tv, music, or any other distractions) Also remember to give him a small book(50 or so pages) cause bigger books will probably make him feel unable and inadequite. Try sitting down and reading a book of your choice at the same time and don't force him to read constantly, if he feels comfortable he will be more inclined to ask you for help instead of just giving up and staring at a page for an hour.

Answer 6

"Captain Underpants" is a great series - it might be a little difficult for him at first but you could read them together (they're pretty darn funny). My two younger sons decided to draw cartoons/make up stories that were similar to Captain Underpants. Of course they were silly, but that was most of the fun....Another way is to make up stories together - you start the story and then leave a cliff hanger sentence and he has to add to the story - take turns making the story up as you go along. (This is a great one for the car when kids start getting restless.) My husband did this with our three boys when he'd tuck them in at night. That's one key - we ALWAYS read stories together before bed time, it was part of our bedtime ritual. - As they learned to read, they would read a page then mom or dad would read a page.....Trips to the library - get him his own library card and let him pick out a few books by himself. (It's hilarious what books they end up with sometimes!)

I think sometimes we parents put so much emphasis on sports and extra-curricular activities that our children learn from us that reading "isn't that important." My kids are in middle and high school now, and I can tell you that reading in elementary school certainly sets them up to excel as they move up in school - it helps with vocabulary, test taking (especially essays), writing papers/stories/reports, even math. Hope this helps!

Good luck to you!!!

Answer 7

Try to get him books he is interested in. Personally, I have a neighbor who is practically my son, who has the same issue. I know he would copy me, since he usually does, and I started to read around him. If your son doesn't have someone he likes like that, try reading with him. Make a game out if it. Honestly, I hated reading until I hit about 8.

Answer 8

How about getting him a personalized book? He may show more interest in reading if his name and friend's names are in the storyline. Go to this website http://www.tlc-expressions.com They have lots of cool titles like Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Scooby-Doo, X-Men, Justice League, Dinosaur Land and so many more. Check it out, it might help him... and good luck!

Answer 9

In my 5 yr olds class they do a Book-It club, they read 10 books and put them on a list and when they turn in their list they get treats, like when the whole class reaches 40 they go to the movies and also for each child individual childs milestone they get prizes... try to set him up on a system like that, like if he read 5 books a week do something special for him..... good luck

Answer 10

Let him and encourage him to read ANYTHING. My Mom did not like me to read comic books. But I did it anyway. I remember one day I was reading one and I actually could see the action in my head--like a movie. I was astonished. And ever after that I have loved to read.