how do you get a child to understand that it is important to learn to read and not grow up illiterate?

Question

the problem is I cant be with him everyday, like I would like to he lives with his mom and they are 2 hours from where i live and his mother is not a good supporting person for him and he thinks it's ok. I am trying to get custody of them but not having the best luck with that please help me.

Answer 1

By example.
---Update---
Reading can be done so many different ways, since you are not there to read to them you could get them a leap pad, or comic books, .. anything that they have to read. Picture books are a form of reading as well. Different forms of media literacy are important .. Maybe you could ask if you could write the children via snail mail back and forth. This way, you can write them a letter, they can read it and practice their skills writing back. This would depend on their age. Even if they are really little you could take pictures of different objects, and send them in the mail. Say, I saw this cute cat, and wanted to send the picture to you. Etc.

Answer 2

If the child is young, say, three or four years old, the very best thing you can do is read him or her stories. Chldren love the attention, they love the closeness, they love the stories, and after a while, if you find some favorite stories and read them over and over (letting your finger kind of follow along under the words as you read.) the kid won't even remember having learned to read. They just will, and then the job is to find them good books. The books themselves will take care of the rest.

If the kid is older, seven or eight years old, it will be a lot harder, because they've passed the time when it would have been easy, and it becomes more like work. Reading stories to them is still valuable, so make sure that happens even if you think they should be reading them all by themselves. You could then try making books - having the kids write whatever they can, and helping them turn it into a book with the pages sewn together and a real cover made from cardboard or wood. Or if you have computers, show them what a blog is, and start one with them. Celebrating their efforts will let them know how valuable you think they are - and that, too, can lead to wanting to do more with words.

If the kid is older still, say, a teenager, and still hasn't begun to read and find pleasure in reading, then I'd try to find adults who are successful, who read as part of their jobs - and adults who do not read, and wish they did, to talk about reading (or about wishing they could) to the child. Children mimic the actions of the powerful, they are drawn to power, and since reading is power, they'll want it, unless there is too much non-reading power around. In that case, what can you do? Move? Bring more reading power into the family or the community?

Already by the fact that you are asking the question, any child around you is going to understand that adults feel reading is valuable, and, if you make reading a pleasure and a reward instead of difficult or a punishment, they'll want to read!

M
E

Answer 3

a cute trick would be to write something like, "Mark (or whatever the child's name is) gets to have some candy!"
and then you would say, "Oh wow! Mark you are so lucky!"
the child will then ask why, to which you will respond, "Here, read this paper and you'll see!"
The child may spend time trying to figure it out and once you see that they have shown initiative, you can reward them by helping out with the reading.
This should make the child want to learn to read, now that they know that they personally can benefit from their ability to read.

or, check out a book that is about something the child likes, but doesn't have very many pictures, just enough so they can see that it is something they like. without several pictures, they will not be able to understand the story, and may wish to learn to read more now because they have the overwhelming desire to know what happens in the story.****[edit] --this will also work in your situation because you can leave these books around your childs room and then ask about them on the phone or when you get to see them so then they will want to read it so that they can talk to you about it!

Answer 4

Make the most of the time that you DO spend with him. Let him know that reading can be fun.

Good luck with the custody battle. You sound like a really good parent. I'm currently a senior in high school and I use to hate reading. Luckily for me, my parents were annoyingly pushy and encouraged me to read. Now I love reading.

Answer 5

It depends. If your child is older, then it may just be that he or she is no longer interested. In this case you have to find something that peaks his or her interest. If they are still young, then you have to make reading fun. You can't just sit them in front of a stack of books and say have at it. My children, 12, 9, and 7. My eldest son is typical..bare minimum effort. He told all his friends that he was getting a Nintendo Wii for X-Mas..what did we get him, a gift card for Borders Book Store. He was initially upset, but we go every Saturday morning, and he finds something that interests him. We spend as much time as needed. He reads almost every single day.

My other boys, they enjoy reading to me. Something new that they've learned and I actually make a big deal about it. i.e. ask questions, tell them that I "never knew that", etc.

It's hard but you have to just keep at it with positive reinforcement. Best of luck.

Answer 6

Wow Cymbeline - pls bypass to those photograph which will coach the on a daily basis mail has a humorousness and a similar address how absurd this concentration on a celebrity who would not deserve any interest tremendously a leg that has no redeeming features different than suggested leg might serve a extra desirable purpose figuring out on remnants of a steak out of your enamel. with a bit of luck it's going to supply you a laugh and then renounce your self to seem previous the mediocrity of life and get on making a destiny. attempt to no longer purely be self fascinated and discover some semblance of entertainment in the ridiculous international you reside in.

Answer 7

Make reading fun. Lots of books, trips to the library, reading out loud every night if you have to. If your child is extremely adverse to reading, he or she may have a learning disability. Have him tested.

Folks in LD schools will tell you to let them read whatever they want - comic books, magazines, so long as they do read.

Answer 8

Midwest is totally right. A child that sees you reading (rather than watching TV) is likely to pick up a book herself. Read to a child and she will want to read for herself. It's a gift beyond measure.

Answer 9

By Example Only.

Answer 10

you cant explain it to them. just get them to read.
pick up colourful books with interesting storylines and leave it around his/her room for them to find