How can you help motivate a 5 and a half year old child to read more?

Question

My daughter is regressing. She was getting better and better at reading everyday. She would try reading all by herself and really try no matter what. Now, she seems so unmotivated and doesn't want to try anything harder than the level she is at right now...She's also forgetting the vowel sounds and rules!
How do I get her to WANT to read more and keep moving forward.
How do I get her to face challenges?

Answer 1

Have a good variety of books around, particularly keep some in the room you, yourself, read in. Children kind of automatically do what their parents do, so if there is a selection of books around for her (even if some are picture books or books other than story books; even catalogs can be included) she may naturally pick one up if you're sitting there and reading to yourself.

I'm convinced that my three kids all loved to read (and continue to love to read now that they're grown) because reading was something their father and I did regularly. He'd have his thing he was reading, I'd have mine, and each child would pick up one book or magazine or catalog and "read" as well.

When reading is as much a part of day-to-day life for everyone in the family as, say, eating dinner is children just kind of read too.

Also, let her head in to bed early and bring a few books for browsing. One of my sons, in particular, loved to bring a stack of books to bed each night. I think he found reading before bed a nice thing to do after a day of being more active, and I think he valued that time.

Make all levels of books available to her (from far easier than she needs to, in some cases, adult level). (When I say "adult" level an example may be a book that shows how to make some kind of crafts like dolls or animals. She could look at the pictures, and she may try to decipher some of the words.)

Answer 2

Let her keep reading the easy books, she gains confidence that way. Most of the words kids read are sight words, my daughter is 6 and she is reading the leveled books by Ladybird they are really good, www.ladybird.co.uk. Kids this age should read no more tan 10 to 15 min a day, and believe me she will start reading.

Answer 3

How about having her read out loud to you for 10 or 15 minutes while you cook dinner. If she's saying the words out loud as she reads them, she'll be forced to listen to what she's saying and will realize if she's misreading (mispronouncing) words. After awhile the vowel sounds and rules will become automatic and habit again, and you'll have the added benefit of some alone time with her every evening.

Answer 4

She's 5 and a half? She was getting better? Celebrate that and let her have books she excels at!! Keep the "harder" books for a week or two on the counter and see if she doesn't get interested on her own.

Or hey, this has worked for me -- write her a book yourself that has her as the main character, her pets as the funny sidekicks, and her most hated food as the enemy. You don't have to be an artist -- you don't have to be a writer -- she'll love it; and because mommy or daddy wrote it, you can be sure she'll want to read it. In fact, it will go straight to her bestsellers list!!

Answer 5

Make it fun. The Leap Frog toys and DVDs are all great. Let her pick the books. Read with her every night. Have her read one part [like maybe Eeyore's part] and you read all the others. Let her keep reading easy books for now. Make the ones you read to her a little harder. These all work for my son, who is 5 1/2. Best wishes.

Answer 6

Let her pick out the books to read. Read to her every night before bed. I started reading to my daughter when she was two and now she's ten and we still read together. In school she is above class level in reading and her spelling level is grade seven. She is currently in grade five. Maybe your daughter thinks that reading has become a chore more than it is for enjoyment. Just let her read books at her age level and gradually her reading alone will improve before you know it. Reading at her age level will keep her excited about reading and her imagination will soar!

Answer 7

Kids learn by example - let her see you reading too. Take her to the bookstore or library and you each pick out a book to read that week. If she finishes it, give her a gold star on a chart, and set a goal - let's say 10 gold stars by the end of school, she gets a special treat - like a day somewhere.

Answer 8

Have you tried the story time readers? It is a red book they should have it at toys r us. It reads the story to her. Also as someone who home schools I say try getting a magnet board with letters at a school supply it has letters and should be on a dry erase board work with her to read and sound out the words. Is she in school? And if she likes something get books on it. AND above all limit her TV time it makes kids not want to read!

Answer 9

Are you a member of the library if not join you both up.This I found helped my daughter she felt so grown up being able to pick her own books(she started picking very easy books-to read and progressed to the ones in her level) also you can keep an eye on her choices. Knowing what interests her is a great help and you are able to guide her to them.

Answer 10

Stop making it a CHORE for her to read, stop "force feeding" her. She is becoming burnt out because you keep shoving "READ" at her. Give the poor kid a break she is only 5 years old! Reading should not be a dreaded chore that you have obviously turned it into. A child should WANT to read because they enjoy reading, because reading sparks their imagination, their fantasy, not because they are forced to or because they have to remember their vowels and rules! I wouldn't want to read if I had to read YOUR way either and I am a 53 year old woman not a 5 year old child!