How to motivate my 2nd grader to read more

[plain jane]

I hate to say it but I'm not the best mom and things are falling through the cracks here. :(

 

By the time I get through the 3Rs with my 5th, 2nd, and K'er, have activities for the preschooler and keep the baby out of trouble, I'm lucky if we're done (the basics) by lunch. Then, of course, there's clean up and nap times and the afternoon of history and science studies.

 

My days are so full and busy and I just now realized that I've dropped the ball on having my 2nd grader read. :001_huh: I mean, she reads when we have a specific book for history that I want her to read (which is usually at least one per week, but this depends on library availability) but she doesn't ever up and read a book. Oh, she also does CLE Reading but that's not reading every day as there's also a fair amount of workbook/writing work.

 

She *can* read and she says she enjoys it but says that she never thinks of it. She's definitely not getting in the 1-1/2 hours of reading time that WTM recommends. :blush:

 

I'm not even sure how to fit it all in. :001_huh: I have 1/2 hour fitted in during the day but somehow, some days that seems to get overlooked and taken over by history time (me reading to them) or something else- usually distracted by younger siblings. :glare:

 

So, how do I motivate her to read more and get more reading into her day? I need more hours. :glare:

 

At any rate- rewards? stickers? candy? what's worked for you?

[lewelma]

Modelling. My younger son was the same as your dd. Liked reading just fine, but just never thought to do it. So my older son and I agreed to take 1 hour every afternoon and all do Silent, Sustained Reading together. No complaints, no talking, no getting up to get a snack. At first, younger ds could only do 20 minutes, but we built him up bit by bit. 1.5 years later I can't get his nose out of a book.

 

Ruth in NZ

Edited February 28, 2012 by lewelma

[plain jane]

Modelling. My younger son was the same as your dd. Liked reading just fine, but just never thought to do it. So my older son and I agreed to take 1 hour every afternoon and all do Silent, Sustained Reading together. No complaints, no talking, no getting up to get a snack. At first, younger ds could only do 20 minutes, but we built him up bit by bit. 1.5 years later I can't get his nose out of a book.

 

Ruth in NZ

 

I used to do this but don't have this luxury right now that baby is older. There's no way I can sit still for more than 5 minutes. Our peaceful nursing sessions are long gone and if there's a book in my hand, my child is trying to eat it. :tongue_smilie: I do get reading in during the evening/weekends when dh is home but most of my reading is after they're all in bed. I wish this weren't so as my stack of books to be read is getting taller than my 7yo. :tongue_smilie:

[lewelma]

sigh. I know it can be frustrating. Perhaps you could read side by side on the weekends when dh is there to help and then used a treat to help her along during the week. I also know it is really hard to read where things are so busy. I would suggest giving her a special, quiet place to read. And start with 10 minutes a build up. Celebrate every success.

 

Good luck

 

Ruth in NZ

[oldskool]

The only thing that has worked for us consistently is when one of the kids gets hooked on a series and then are self-motivated. For our second grader right now it is the Rainbow Magic books. I know it is not WTM material, but I am glad she is getting into the habit of reading something. She is also motivated to go to the bookstore where she gets to buy the next book. We try to cover better lit. during read alouds, so she is exposed to a different (better) kind of writing as well.

[SKL]

My kids are a little younger, but I require them to sit down and read something to me (my choice for the beginning reader) almost every day. It may be just 10 minutes or so at first, but it gets us past the feeling that reading a book is SO HAAARD. Beyond that, their room is full of books and they will spontaneously pull out a book as the mood strikes them. I don't use any external motivators. If the reading material is good, it should be its own motivator.

 

For your daughter, I might periodically hang out with her in her room (or wherever her books are) and act interested in what books she has, maybe pull out one or two and mention that you think she'll like it when she reads it, and then put them back - no pressure. When the opportunity arises throughout the day, mention a book she has (e.g., if she sees something about sharks, mention that she has a book about sharks that has more information in it; or if she's playing out a princess fantasy, tie it into a book she has). Then around the end of each day, ask her what she's read and what she thought of it. Just to gently place the idea into her mind that reading independently is something to consider doing. Also encourage her to pick out some library books for her to read on her own.

[Joyofsixreboot]

My 2nd grader, though she reads well, does not like it. I have increased her reading time by having her read to the preschooler. She's been reading pretty difficult fairy tales along with easier stuff to her sister Not a perfect solution but at least it's getting done. She feels important and it does actually help me out.

[JessReplanted]

I've attached reading time to either right after lunch (which is when I really appreciate having some quiet time!), or at the end of the school day.

Or, you could have her do it first thing in the morning if she is up before you are.

 

At this point, my son is voraciously reading at night, so it's not a planned part of our day.

[Chris in VA]

Mine reads because she loves to, but also because she doesn't have folks around except me and dh! I can see how it'd be harder to choose if there is always someone to play with, for certain kids.

 

Other than playing with sibs, does she do anything else that you might pull back on to give her more time to read? I'm thinking screen time, but I'm under the impression you don't do a lot of screens.

 

It did help my boys to have a reading corner in their room. We placed a high value on reading, and having an attractive nook with books and pillows gave them that message. Maybe you could put one of those neato rainspout shelves up for her and add a couple of floor pillows and a furry rug, or a pretty chair. Does she share a room? Can she "get away" and read?

 

Giving her alone time, a great book, a special space--might help.

[Sasharowan]

I started mine off with an extra 1/2 hour of staying up, as long as they were in their beds reading. Now, as teens and almost teens, they push that to 1.5-2hrs sometimes, but they ARE in their beds reading quietly and not bugging me. As long as it doesn't affect their attitude the next day, I let it slide.

[TXMomof4]

Reading at bedtime is a big treat for my kids. They have to be in bed relatively early, but they can read in there. We bought them booklights for Christmas and they love being able to sit in their rooms and just read.

 

Also, finding a good series really motivates them after we get through the first book. Dd8 didn't like reading for fun at all until she found the Ivy and Bean books, then she read the Spiderwick Chronicles from beginning to end. She just started the Lemony Snicket books and seems to really like them as well.

[Princess Peach]

I started mine off with an extra 1/2 hour of staying up, as long as they were in their beds reading. Now, as teens and almost teens, they push that to 1.5-2hrs sometimes, but they ARE in their beds reading quietly and not bugging me. As long as it doesn't affect their attitude the next day, I let it slide.

 

This is a great idea, as it treats reading as something of a privilege, tied to staying up past their bedtime.

 

I also think getting the child interested in a series of books is a good idea. I wouldn't worry so much about twaddle at this point.

[In the Rain]

My 2nd grader had a hard time when she read at the first/second grade level because she didn't like the book choices. To build up her skills, I shamelessly resorted to bribery. ;)

 

This summer, when she finished a certain series of books, she got a stuffed animal.

 

Then she read all of the MENSA list and earned their free t-shirt.

 

This fall, I let her stay up past her bedtime (up to 30 min) as long as she was reading out loud to me.

 

After all of those, she was reading comfortably at a 4th grade level, and could choose more interesting books off the shelves. So around December, I agreed to move her bedtime 30 minutes later, as long as she was reading. Now she wakes up early to read too. :D

 

With both of my kids, they needed to get to a high enough reading level to read books that interested them. Once they were there, it was easier.

 

It also helps if you can find a series they love.

[SebastianCat]

My kids are 9 & 7 and we still try to have some quiet time (almost) every afternoon to read. If we don't make it a priority, it won't happen.

 

With a baby/toddler in the house, that would naturally coincide with baby's afternoon nap. I would start with 30 minutes and make it a policy that "everyone who is not asleep must be reading and quiet" for just 30 minutes, yourself included.

[Meriwether]

If she gets plenty of sleep, I would send her to bed a little earlier but tell her she can stay awake reading until it would be past bedtime. Dd8 does most of her reading at night before bed. Ds7 doesn't read enough so I'm starting to do some of this with him as well.

[FLDebbie]

With my second grade son, he has problems reading and never wanted to, until my 5th grade nephew gave him some of his old Captain Underpants books. I cringed at the thought of them, but my son didn't put them down until he read the entire series. As a family we read better quality literature so I know he's getting more than just "junk food" books. He now is on Little House on the Prairie, which was his choice. So, my advice is to let her read what interests her, perhaps something else other kids are reading. Even though I didn't like my son's first choice in books, it got him started down the right path.

 

I like the idea of staying up late in bed reading. That's what I love to do and I should use that as a reward for him.

[FriedClams]

When my kids were that age they had quiet time every day. During quiet time they had the option of "book or bed". They could read or nap. Toys were not an option. I gave them stacks of great books from the library each week (I think this is really important - we read all the Sonlight readers and read aloud books, the Read Aloud Handbook books, the 1000 Great Books list....). Since they hate naps, they chose to read. ;)

 

I also kept/keep a box of books in the car and every kid who gets in the car grabs one. It's hysterical when my friend's kids beg to bring the one they started in the car home with them.

 

We also do read alouds, books on audio, and have quiet reading time as a family.

 

One last thing that I think is critical - limited screen time. My kids usually don't get any or at most 30 minutes a day.

 

Oh, and I would recommend not pushing chapter books all the time. Picture books are amazing and shouldn't be eliminated just because kids CAN read chapter books. HTH

[Rivka]

For your daughter, I might periodically hang out with her in her room (or wherever her books are) and act interested in what books she has, maybe pull out one or two and mention that you think she'll like it when she reads it, and then put them back - no pressure. When the opportunity arises throughout the day, mention a book she has (e.g., if she sees something about sharks, mention that she has a book about sharks that has more information in it; or if she's playing out a princess fantasy, tie it into a book she has). Then around the end of each day, ask her what she's read and what she thought of it. Just to gently place the idea into her mind that reading independently is something to consider doing. Also encourage her to pick out some library books for her to read on her own.

 

I started mine off with an extra 1/2 hour of staying up, as long as they were in their beds reading. Now, as teens and almost teens, they push that to 1.5-2hrs sometimes, but they ARE in their beds reading quietly and not bugging me. As long as it doesn't affect their attitude the next day, I let it slide.

 

These are all great ideas.

 

I've had good results with doing a "book commercial" kind of thing - I'll show Alex a book and say a couple of sentences about why I think she'd like it. "I think you might like Beezus and Ramona because it's about how hard it is to be a big sister. Ramona's always doing crazy things - she invites all the kids in her nursery school class to a party, but she doesn't tell her mom, so it's a complete surprise when kids start showing up." Then I put the book down and walk away.

 

Big draws at our house are comic strip collections, graphic novels, and super-illustrated series. Getting a magazine is also very exciting at this age - Alex subscribes to Ranger Rick.

 

I also keep her supplied with stacks of advanced picture books. The vocabulary and sentence structure in many picture books is superior to early series books, and the format and length are unintimidating. In particular, there is a lot of great picture book nonfiction out there, and it really draws my kids in.

[Amy in NH]

So, how do I motivate her to read more and get more reading into her day? I need more hours. :glare:

 

At any rate- rewards? stickers? candy? what's worked for you?

 

Keep the TV and computer games turned off.

 

Allow her to choose whatever books she wants from the library (in addition to the ones you choose for her).

 

Have her choose from a pile of books to read quietly to herself while you are working with the other children.

 

Put the kids to bed an hour earlier than you do now, but tell them that they are allowed to read for an hour before turning out the light.

[NotSoObvious]

Hmm...I'd say a book a week plus CLE reading is not nothing!!! First, give yourself a break. She IS reading.

 

If you want to add in some more time, set a reading time each day. My girls read right after lunch. It's just what we do. It also gives me down time.

 

Also, why don't you ask her to choose her favorite book and read it to you while you cook dinner? Look for little opportunities like that where it won't seem like such a chore to her- she gets to read something she wants and be alone with you.

[ocelotmom]

She *can* read and she says she enjoys it but says that she never thinks of it. She's definitely not getting in the 1-1/2 hours of reading time that WTM recommends. :blush:

Remember that SWB has stated that the time recommendations in WTM are not to be taken as gospel - they are there because the publisher insisted, and not because they necessarily reflect the reality of her own homeschool. So don't feel guilty if you're not meeting those guidelines, and don't imagine that all the rest of us are following them either!

 

I don't think 1-1/2 hours of reading time is an appropriate goal for a 2nd grader. Some are reading that much by choice, but a lot are still struggling with reading, and that's a long time to do an activity that requires a lot of effort. I'd think you'd need to work up to that level gradually.

Edited February 28, 2012 by ocelotmom

[gardening momma]

We let our dc read in bed at night. They each have a flashlight and can read as long as they want. We use rechargeable batteries so we don't have to worry if they fall asleep with the flashlight on. Dd6 used to just look at the pictures in the books, but now she's reading them too. Dd8 probably does most of her reading at night.

[myfunnybunch]

Your days sound a lot like ours, schedulewise, except I had forgotten (mercifully...:tongue_smilie:) about the days of trying to homeschool older ones with little ones running around. :grouphug: Sometimes I wonder how I survived! Try not to be so hard on yourself. You made a pretty hefty list of what you *do*. It's a lot, so no kicking yourself over what you haven't done.

 

I set aside three formal reading times for each child: A read-together (we take turns reading aloud to one another), an assigned read-alone (book of my choice, for my first grader it's a Beatrix Potter collection right now) and free reading (book of his choice). And I put them in bed 20-30 minutes before lights out so that they can read.

 

It might take a little teaching at first, but what if you put a stack of books in a quiet spot, and announce independent reading time every day? She can read while you do lessons with the others. Teaching my boys that when Mom is busy you do independent reading while you wait was meant as a sanity-saver for me so they stay quiet and engaged, but it's also upped their reading time.

 

And this....

I also keep her supplied with stacks of advanced picture books. The vocabulary and sentence structure in many picture books is superior to early series books, and the format and length are unintimidating. In particular, there is a lot of great picture book nonfiction out there, and it really draws my kids in.

 

I try to choose interesting and beautiful picture books. Ds11 still likes to read picture books once in a while. Sometimes the early readers and early chapter books can seem stilted and repetitive. Advanced picture books often have richer language but there's not so much that it's overwhelming, and the pictures add to the experience.

 

:)

 

Cat

[BlsdMama]

DOn'T do rewards!!!!!! Seriously, it sends the wrong message. It screams, "This is not enjoyable; I must bribe you to do it."

 

One of the best rules we ever instituted was the "Read or Sleep" rule. Little kids who cannot tass must nap and have an eight o'clock bedtime. Kids who can read have the option of reading during naptime (two hours at our house) or taking a nap. Bedtime is the same. Readers have the option of staying up later. Readers are also gifted a reading light for their bed.

 

I have two children who were not natural readers. They read two to three hours per day. The oldest of the two has become a voracious reader. The other is significantly better than she was.

 

This is not a changing thing, btw. Good reader, bad reader, young child, old child, or teen, the rule remains the same. It works great.

[BlsdMama]

Remember that SWB has stated that the time recommendations in WTM are not to be taken as gospel - they are there because the publisher insisted, and not because they necessarily reflect the reality of her own homeschool. So don't feel guilty if you're not meeting those guidelines, and don't imagine that all the rest of us are following them either!

 

I don't think 1-1/2 hours of reading time is an appropriate goal for a 2nd grader. Some are reading that much by choice, but a lot are still struggling with reading, and that's a long time to do an activity that requires a lot of effort. I'd think you'd need to work up to that level gradually.

 

Schedules aren't, but I would bet the 1+ hour is the bare minimum. They desperately NEED, NEED, NEED the sheer exposure and creating a habit of reading... More than piety much anything except obedience, and IMO, scripture. ;)

 

I have had a practically NON-reading second grader. During naptime we had him lie down for a bit and he could cut the nap short by working on phonics. It was very motivating, lol. My first grader does the same but I allow him to listen to books on tape for an hour.

 

You cannot expose your children to too much GOOD reading.

[ocelotmom]

I have had a practically NON-reading second grader. During naptime we had him lie down for a bit and he could cut the nap short by working on phonics. It was very motivating, lol. My first grader does the same but I allow him to listen to books on tape for an hour.

 

You cannot expose your children to too much GOOD reading.

 

I agree, but I don't think enforcing an extended independent reading period on young kids is the way to go about that.

 

I had a practically non-reading second grader who is now a 3rd grader who is reading both voluntarily and above grade level. We didn't try to force the reading, but instead did a lot of good read-alouds and audiobooks in order to encourage good taste, understanding difficult language, following complex storylines, and so forth.

[BlsdMama]

I think the things you mention are great! However, truly kids need the predictable routine of just being still and with a book.

 

Water. There is nothing spectacular about water to children. However, in the absence of other beverage choices they will willingly drink it. Over time water becomes their default. They will reach for water without thinking about it. It is a way of LIFE to them. There is nothing wrong with juice and smoothies are great fun, but if you want them to simply appreciate water for water, then you need to serve water regularly, every day, without pomp and circumstance. Reading is like that.

 

Bells and whistles are wonderful and we should do ALL of those wonderful things. However, without a regular habit of being still with a book, your children can find so many other choices. Instilling this habit in your child of spending regular time without distraction to soak in a great book or just to drench themselves in beautiful illustrations is a great gift indeed.

 

Recently I was reading the book Overcoming Dyslexia. In it is a graph correlating reading success with minutes spent reading each day. It is VITAL.

Edited February 28, 2012 by BlsdMama

[ErinE]

I started mine off with an extra 1/2 hour of staying up, as long as they were in their beds reading. Now, as teens and almost teens, they push that to 1.5-2hrs sometimes, but they ARE in their beds reading quietly and not bugging me. As long as it doesn't affect their attitude the next day, I let it slide.

 

This. I still need a minimum of 30 minutes of "myself time" reading before I can fall asleep. Get her hooked on a series (Magic Tree House or something similar) and you might find her burning through the books.