How do I get my sister to read to her daughter?

Question

My niece is going to be 11 and she is really a horrible reader/writer. Her cousin, who she spends a lot of time with is 12 and is so much more advanced.
Growing up, my mother read to me and I know it made me much better writer. My sister just seems to take no responsibility for her daughter's education. I don't understand. Everytime my niece is over at my place, she and I read together. Even my husband works with her. What do I do?

Answer 1

I don't believe there's anything you can do to get your sister to read to your niece. If you want to help your niece to read better, have her read to you instead of you reading to her. Since she is 10 years old, she has some ability to read and practice on her part will help her get better at it. Ask the older cousin if she will help out and have your niece read to her. Keep a few age appropriate books at your house for her and have her read a chapter or two each time she visits. Don't judge her but help her with pronunciation when she struggles and compliment her on her efforts.

Answer 2

As someone else suggested, by 11 and most often before that age, kids have outgrown the need or desire to be read to. She may enjoy it when you read to her, but more likely it's because it's an activity you're doing together, so it could be any number of things, not just the reading, Kids all develop differently, and some are just more intelligent than others... just a fact of life. I read to both my kids from the time they were babies until they were in school and reading on their own, with the occasional story time that first year or 2. My son has done well and graduated from college, but has never been much of a reader. My daughter, totally different intellect, and also a college grad., is a voracious reader. So you see, there are no guarantees. Yes, they do need the encouragement and the incentive to learn throughout the years they're in school, but there's only so much we can do as parents... the rest is up to them. Trying to tell your sister she's doing things wrong would only lend hurt feelings or possibly a strained relationship. I'm sure she loves her daughter and is doing the best she can. She's certainly NOT a bad mother as someone else suggested. And that's certainly not the way you'd want her to feel. Just continue to be encouraging to her, and enjoy your relationship with your neice as always.

Answer 3

Have her over more. I disagree wholeheartedly with people that say an 11 year old may no longer need to read with someone, especially if they haven't developed the reading skills that other 11 year olds have. Although the closeness is a part of it, and showing that you care enough to help never hurts, but it is the repetition of hearing words that you are also seeing that helps children.

Have her over often to help her and also take her to your local library every other week or so and take out a popular book on tape or cd and the matching book. That way she has the same situation emulated at home. Call her and talk to her about the book you picked out together, ask questions (it would also help if you read it at the same time.) If you have younger kids around, have her read short books to them. Little kids won't fuss if a word is messed up and it will help her build confidence. Good luck!!!!

Answer 4

I have two children, my youngest loves to read with me and loves to have me help her with her homework, we really work well together. My eldest is a different story she gets really frustrated with me, I don't explain things in a way that she understands and then I get frustrated. Good thing she works well with my husband or she would need a tutor. I take a back seat when it comes to education with my eldest because she needs this from me. My eldest is horrible when it comes to handwriting legibly, I can never read what she writes and I want her to do it over again and that makes her so frustrated she shuts down...then I feel awful, my husband can take over the situation and teach her and show her in a different way that doesn't make her shut down.

Its a different way to think of it....Maybe you can help be a support system.

Answer 5

Thats true, reading to your kids makes then a lot better at reading and writing, So i hear. however, my mom never read to me and I can spell, read and write just fine. Granted she and I wish she would have read to me more becuase I hate reading, so now its hard for me to even read to my 4 yr old daughter, I wish I could. Really you can read to your neice. But she is 11 and is going to grow out of the stage of wanting you to read to her, she can read on her own. Also kids advance differently, So the fact thta your cousin is "more advance" isnt really the case. There really isnt a way to make her read more to her.

Answer 6

You can't actually make your sister read to her daughter. Until she realizes what a help it is, she won't care. I say kuddos for you trying to help. Keep up the good work and your niece really appreciates the help, I'm sure.

Answer 7

Unfortunitely, I don't think you can do anything she doesn't want to do. Does your sister not like to read? Or does she not have time?

Keep it up though! I think you're doing a great thing by spending time with your neice and initiating reading time.

Answer 8

Email her the hyper-link to this question, then let her read this and hope she starts acting like a better parent.

Answer 9

just let her go to to english/american councile... i was like this when i was little but thanks to God then to my mom that i went there...
hope i helped u

Answer 10

get your gun from out of your closet, point it at her daughter and threaten to kill her daughter unless she reads to her.

100% guranteed that will work.


P.S. only do that if you want to go to jail