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Re: Reluctant Readers No More
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From: Nell Fleming <nell.fleming_at_wsd.k12.wi.us>
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:57:26 -0600
Picture books are a great bridge to novels!
My daughter who does love to read, occasional balks at thicker looking chapter books and books without pictures. Her grandma purchased her the entire English Roses series and the picture book by Madonna (leave it to mom to always pick out something to make me go hmmmm), but my daughter loved the covers but didn't crack one for two months. Finally after I forced the issue and made her choose the picture book for her required nightly reading (for school) she had a sudden intense desire to read the entire series. Why is this? Because she now "knows the characters" and is no longer intimidated by what might be inside these thicker looking books. She is so into the series now that she has been sneaking back into bed in the morning to read when she thinks I'm not looking! It's amazing but my main discipline problem with my daughter is that I have to take away her books to get her to brush her teeth! It is an interesting balance to find ways to say "please stop reading and brush your teeth" which sounds so ridiculo us coming out of my librarian mouth!
I've learned to say "please brush your teeth and hair before you do anything else for fun!"
I have found my daughter is reluctance to do anything new. She will re-read the same books over and over and over because she knows she will enjoy the experience. I have no problem with that but if I don't push her to try something new each week or two she would just stay put. I was this way, and I didn't get out of my comfort zone until graduate school. I stayed in the fantasy/horror/mystery genres for decades. Now I'm reading history and philosophy and popular fiction and Newbery winners and graphic novels and whatever else I can get my hands on.
Comfort zones are hard things to grow but we can help kids grow their zones. I've learned to do that with food, sports, socialization, reading and more.
Nell Fleming Librarian WSD Library 309 Walworth Ave Delavan, WI 53115 (262) 728-7133 v/tty
Received on Fri 18 Feb 2011 07:57:26 AM CST
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:57:26 -0600
Picture books are a great bridge to novels!
My daughter who does love to read, occasional balks at thicker looking chapter books and books without pictures. Her grandma purchased her the entire English Roses series and the picture book by Madonna (leave it to mom to always pick out something to make me go hmmmm), but my daughter loved the covers but didn't crack one for two months. Finally after I forced the issue and made her choose the picture book for her required nightly reading (for school) she had a sudden intense desire to read the entire series. Why is this? Because she now "knows the characters" and is no longer intimidated by what might be inside these thicker looking books. She is so into the series now that she has been sneaking back into bed in the morning to read when she thinks I'm not looking! It's amazing but my main discipline problem with my daughter is that I have to take away her books to get her to brush her teeth! It is an interesting balance to find ways to say "please stop reading and brush your teeth" which sounds so ridiculo us coming out of my librarian mouth!
I've learned to say "please brush your teeth and hair before you do anything else for fun!"
I have found my daughter is reluctance to do anything new. She will re-read the same books over and over and over because she knows she will enjoy the experience. I have no problem with that but if I don't push her to try something new each week or two she would just stay put. I was this way, and I didn't get out of my comfort zone until graduate school. I stayed in the fantasy/horror/mystery genres for decades. Now I'm reading history and philosophy and popular fiction and Newbery winners and graphic novels and whatever else I can get my hands on.
Comfort zones are hard things to grow but we can help kids grow their zones. I've learned to do that with food, sports, socialization, reading and more.
Nell Fleming Librarian WSD Library 309 Walworth Ave Delavan, WI 53115 (262) 728-7133 v/tty
Received on Fri 18 Feb 2011 07:57:26 AM CST
