Reading is vital for kids to develop their early literacy skills, concentration power, and spark their imagination. Therefore, every parent wishes that their child is a natural bookworm. But what if your kid is a reluctant reader?
What Does ‘Reluctant Reader’ Mean?
A reluctant reader is a person who doesn’t feel very motivated or engaged when asked to read. If forced to read, they will hardly get to the tenth page of the book before giving up completely.
How To Identify Reluctant Readers?
You will often find reluctant readers staring away from their book or unable to focus on the text in front of them. Some kids might just have other competing interests like sports, dance, art, etc., while some might be struggling with decoding the comprehension and need help with it.
Tips To Help a Reluctant Reader
Once you have identified a reluctant reader, try different ways to help them develop a reading habit like focusing on their reading skills, taking them book shopping, or reading stories of their favourite characters together.
Try Fun Comic Books
Reading plain text might be boring and difficult to comprehend for many kids. So, try comic novels or graphical stories which are visually appealing. Comic books bring the characters and situations alive, thus helping kids to visualize what they read. Some great comic books for reluctant readers are the good old Tinkle series, Archie Comics or Marvel’s Avengers if your kid is into superheroes.
Lure Them with Digital or E-Books
Kids these days are avid technology users and love gadgets more than books. So, why not put this technology fever to good use by giving your kids access to e-books? Audiobooks are also a great way to engage reluctant readers in case of any challenges in processing visuals. Remember to limit the screen time for your kid’s safety!
First Movie, Then the Book
Does your kid love the Harry Potter series or Narnia? Then here’s a great idea on how to encourage reluctant readers: Take them to watch the movie first and then ask them to read the book to compare the two. If they liked the movie, they will most probably love reading the book too.
Recognize and Appreciate Their Strengths
Reluctant readers often focus on their shortcomings and use them as an excuse to not read. So, recognizing and appreciating their reading strengths will go a long way. For example, you can tell them that their prediction of the end scene was so on point or that it’s amazing how they have already finished reading a hundred pages of the book.
Try Different Types of Reading
Sticking to one type of reading can get boring, even for adults! So, allow your kid to indulge in different types of reading like poetry, biography, sports magazine, or myth debunking books. Let them choose what they want to read so that they stay motivated to read continuously.
Lead By Example
Understand the struggles of reluctant readers and model for them to work through those obstacles. You can discuss and apply different strategies to develop their reading skills, including decoding, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and sentence construction. Read along with your kid or around them as kids often mimic the actions of their parents.
Let’s normalize that not everybody loves reading and instead prefer cultivating other hobbies. But, it’s good to have a decent reading habit in the long run, and the above tips for reluctant readers are great for motivating them to see the value in reading.
