![\"\"](\"http:\/\/dyslexiasa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/little-boy-holding-large-book-hands-sitting-fallen-autumn-leaves-child-loves-read-1024x684.jpg\")
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A few months ago, I enrolled Morgan in dance lessons, so every Wednesday afternoon, we have our special grandmother\/granddaughter time. Now that I\u2019ve quit being obnoxious about taking her picture (My iPhone tells me that I\u2019ve taken over a thousand pictures of her\u2026.just dancing.), I decided to bring my laptop and get a little bit of work done.<\/p>\n
I found a table in the back where I could still see her pirouetting and leaping. It didn\u2019t take me long to figure out that this was the \u201chomework\u201d table. An assortment of little boys worked away at their homework while, I assume, their sisters danced away. But only one caught my attention.<\/p>\n
His mom, too, had work to do, a laptop set up on the table. It held her main focus. I understand this more than most. What I don\u2019t understand is the discussion she had with her son over reading. Sure, I get it. She\u2019s probably worried about bills and Christmas presents and getting dinner on the table. The list goes on. And, honestly, I don\u2019t judge parenting over anything this small. But, in a way, it\u2019s huge.<\/p>\n
Every time this boy, who appeared to be about seven or eight, fidgeted, moved, or looked around at a very busy studio with many distractions, his mom crabbed at him. About one thing\u2026reading. \u201cYou owe me forty minutes,\u201d she scolded. \u201cYou\u2019ve only given me twenty. Get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her words don\u2019t sound so gruff as I write them, but the way she said them made me cringe. I felt so sorry for this wiggly little boy. Even worse, I could tell that he really didn\u2019t want to read. She\u2019d look away and he\u2019d talk to another little boy, wiggle, stand up and squirm, then pretend he was reading whenever his mother looked his way. I doubt if he read a single word the entire hour.<\/p>\n
It made me sad. How will this ever foster a love for reading? And then, I thought, why is she so pressured for this small boy to read for forty minutes? What is so important about that? Even worse, why would you expect a young learner to read in a loud, public, and sensory exploding setting?<\/p>\n
When it comes time to read, the world should stop. Magic should float through the air. There should be only one group of people in the world \u2013 the reader and the characters in the book \u2013 at least until the child is old enough to learn to read for the sake of reading itself.<\/p>\n
Once again, I cast no judgment on this parent. It could have been a rough day. Their dog might have died that morning for all I know. Even so, if you\u2019re having a rough day, please don\u2019t impose this kind of militant reading requirement on a young child who is just navigating the wonders of reading. Following are some suggestions for helping your learner love to read.<\/p>\n
* Don\u2019t make it a chore\u2026make it magical. Set up a tent. Pull out some bean bags. Shut off the television. Turn off your phone. Let the wonder of print grab your child.<\/p>\n
* Make sure you are in a quiet place with few distractions. (Not a noisy dance studio)<\/p>\n
* Provide as many reading experiences as possible. You\u2019d be surprised how many options come your way.<\/p>\n
* Instead of threatening, reward. Every time your child reads a paragraph, a page, a book, put a marble or ticket in a jar. Then when the jar is full, buy a treat. Of course, you can adjust this to how many tickets or marbles would equate to a treat, and even then, you don\u2019t have to buy anything. Special time with mom or dad is always perfect.<\/p>\n
* Set a good example by reading books.<\/p>\n
* Stay calm. Don\u2019t make reading a battle.<\/p>\n
* Take turns reading. Your child reads one paragraph, you read the next.<\/p>\n
* Make it fun! Find books you can act out and have a play.<\/p>\n
* Talk about books whenever you can. My kids, all grown now, still talk about our special books.<\/p>\n
* Read aloud to your children. I\u2019ll never forget when my youngest child was in fifth grade. I read chapter books aloud to her every night, even though she was reading well above grade level. Pretty soon, my seventh-grade daughter came in and plopped onto the bed. Believe it or not, my oldest child, who was in high school at the time, found his way into story time more nights than not.<\/p>\n
I promise, looking back, that those are the times you remember. Not when you\u2019re pressured to make your child read a certain amount of minutes a day.<\/p>\n
To your child\u2019s success,<\/p>\n
Lisa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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