Requiring reading in minority language?

[4KookieKids]

I asked about requiring reading a while back on the general ed board, and the consensus was to just let them read as much or little as they want to fit enjoyment (early elementary, so only just starting to read fluently). However, we're almost at the point of reading in German now, and the situation feels different to me somehow.

 

Is it? Is it not? What, if anything, is good and helpful and reasonable to ask of them? They do love reading in English at this point.

 

Currently, we speak on German whenever dh isn't around (though it's on the decline as the children outnumber me more strongly and don't speak it amongst themselves willingly... and mostly unwillingly either...) and we listen to lots of German audio books, and I read German books aloud. But I feel like I'm losing battle slowly but surely and they have no formal school work in German other than l learning to read and write at this point.

[bibiche]

We require reading books in the minority languages. Well, I guess they are not so much required as strongly suggested. I work hard to keep DS supplied with the kind of books he likes to read in the languages in which I want him to read them. IME, children who read in their other language(s) are much stronger in the language(s).

[Julie Smith]

I require reading books in my boys minority language. 

 

Right now that is VERY little. Eldest reads a book a week. Calling it a book might be stretching it. I get little books for kids from the library, the type you would find in a box set of phonics readers. It takes him, with looking at pictures about 5 minutes, including discussing or looking up new words. 

 

Sometimes he will keep reading when done, but not often since his reading ability in French is so very low compared to his ability in English. 

[Arcadia]

My DS10 would still shut down and give up (as in think he is dumb) so we did not force an amount. Whatever he can read is okay. He used to shut down on english reading despite being good at it.

 

My DS11 would just be defiant if we push more than he is willing to do. Let us say he is willing to read a chapter from a german chapter book and we insist he has to read two chapters, we are just going to butt heads. If he is willing to read 5 pages and we ask for 6 pages, he might obliged.

 

I have good friends who will do whatever is assigned and nothing more. For them assigning more reading homework just means they read more. Quality not consistent. They are lovely people but that is how they do things.

 

We tell our kids that what they do from K-8th is to lay the foundation for high school foreign langauge. The more effort they put now, the less tiring when they reach high school. That is the kind of logic that appeals to my kids.

[Miss Tick]

During the school year we often will read a book together, I read a page, you read a page style. Usually I have them also do a running translation. Their reading level is between Geronimo Stilton (sigh) and the Time Warp Trio. Right now we are reading a non-translated book about Julius Caesar in Gaul, but appropriate books at the appropriate level in languages other than English can be tricky to find!

 

If I want them to pick up a book on their own in another language it has to be a graphic novel. Even so, they will generally just look at the pictures.

 

In your shoes (schuhe?) I think I would increase time for them reading to you (if they are elementary-age) or assign as high-interest books well below their reading level as you can find (once they are older).

[Loesje22000]

We work with a chapter / 10 min. per day system.

It has increased by now, but once we take a language seriously (we dabble sometimes, before putting more effort in a language) I try to let read dd consistently.

 

It is the wrong level for Early Elementary but we use this now for making 'reading miles':

https://verlage.westermanngruppe.de/westermann/artikel/978-3-14-120825-2/Praxis-Sprache-Literatur-Sprach-und-Lesebuch-fuer-Gymnasien-Schuelerband-5

A leveled reader / A reading textbook that increases in difficulty during the book.

The books have its prize but are still cheaper then buying a number of books. If dd likes a book or wants to know how it finishes, I buy the book.

I'm sure something like that exists also in Grundschule.

 

In the very beginning I bought Leserabe:

https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=leserabe

And 'sammelbands' from Leo Lionni:

https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_10?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=leo+lionni+sammelband&sprefix=Leo+Lionni%2Caps%2C145&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aleo+lionni+sammelband

 

 

DD ends the 'school'day with a pile of books for foreign languages.

Because of her reading she spent less time on vocab lists.

 

DD does not like to be read aloud, so we don't do that often.

Not sure this helps though

 

[Have kids -- will travel]

We get minority language comics delivered every week. Nothing like that in English. It's a huge hit in our house and helps with culture as well, as it's widely read in that language (not a translation) and covers unique events from the culture that don't occur in Anglo-Saxon traditions.

 

So get something in German that they can't resist. Something better than what you offer in English. 

 

Our oldest is reading in his minority language, but we don't require readalouds yet (he's young). The comic is read aloud every evening at bedtime (DH loves it too), so the boys follow along. Our oldest regularly re-reads the comics, but how much he reads versus looks at the pictures, I don't know. But I'm sure it will drive his minority language reading as he gets older.

 

Also, can you get minority language subtitles for minority language television? Every little bit helps, and it's almost impossible to ignore subtitles once you're reading a bit.

 

Also, we will be spending three weeks in Europe this summer, so the reading practice for the oldest will only be in the minority language for that time (and we will ask for reading aloud). I'll be the only source of English on that trip, so their fluency should shoot up quite dramatically again.

[4KookieKids]

Thanks for the suggestions! In general, I don't require much reading bc I'd rather they read for enjoyment. But I decided I really do want to have some say over their content to, so I made a book list and decided to offer rewards whenever they finish a certain number of books. The number will be much smaller for German books compared to English, I think, first because their German testing is weaker and slower, and second just to make German reading more enticing. We'll see how u it works!! :)