A Great Question

Leticia wrote in yesterday with a good question. She has a daughter who is in Second Grade who likes to read, but doesn't necessarily LOVE it.

I've been thinking about it, and here's what I have come up with.

I am very happy to hear she likes reading. That is a huge positive. I am thinking about a few other kids her age that are in the same place -- and I think the solution is TIME.

If I think about the kids who were in my looping class (a class stays with the same teacher for the next grade), they were in one place coming in, another the following year, and completely different when they left me.

They matured.

What I found was that I had to #1, provide stimulating material. It is very hard at that age. So many "Early" chapter books are written quite formulaicly -- they get boring for kids who have mastered reading well. It's the content that matters.

Look for books that may NOT be in a series. That is a good place to start.

#2, I had to keep them accountable -- which sounds like it would do exactly the opposite of making them love it, but here's what I mean by accountable...

I talk with them DAILY -- and progressively --i.e. What's happening with ___ character (use the characters name)? Hey, in chapter 2 they did xyz, how did that come out?

BE INTERESTED (Genuinely). They will pick up on that, and guess what...they will keep reading.

#3, I had to have them buying in - they had choice in the selection, the area they read, the responses varied and fit their personality.

And, in time, with maturity, they will begin opting for reading. They will begin forming opinions -- trust me...it will go from "oh, I like reading" to " I LOVED that book!"

Did that help?