Ds doesn't like read-alouds

[shanezomom]

Our 10 yr ds is asking why we need to have read aloud time. He is not an auditory learner but neither am I, so I understand. I would rather read a book than listen. I explained, however, that there are still some books in which the language is probably more difficult than he is used to reading: Roger Lancelyn Green's King Arthur or the Lamb's Shakespeare, for example. He is not a voracious reader and needs to be reminded to read. He likes being outside and playing in the tree house or on the trampoline, but he's a good student overall.

 

Any thoughts or experience with this?

[edeemarie]

You might want to try giving him a copy of the book you are reading so he can follow along:)

[regentrude]

You could have him listen to audio books in situations where this is the only thing to do, for instance in the car, or while he is playing.

It may also be that your choice of read aloud book does not hold his interest; maybe he could choose the next book?

[sweetgeo]

I'm just coming on to commiserate! My 10 y.o. dd is the same, and we use Sonlight, so it's been a lot of cutting back to ONLY those books that I think she'd enjoy!

[angela in ohio]

I would say: "I understand, because I enjoy reading more when I can see the words myself than when someone reads it to me. I'll make you a deal. We will replace read-aloud time with time for you to read on your own. This deal will only work if you are using the time to read efficiently, though. Otherwise we will hav eto go back to read-aloud time. One of the reasons I wanted to read out loud to you is because the vocabulary in some of these books is different than what we use now, and you might not know the words. I also want you to keep that in mind while you read, and ask me if or look it up you can't get a word from context."

 

It's okay if he doesn't get every word. If he continues reading quality literature, he will see the words again and again and eventually pick them up.

[shanezomom]

Thanks, Angela...I was hoping you would chime in. Hope everything is good up your way. It was great meeting you in Cinci.

[Chris in VA]

Mine gave up on read alouds in (the end of) fourth grade.

She did read "over my shoulder" when I was reading--it helped her follow along. Could yours do that? Or maybe do some reading back and forth--You read a chapter, he reads a chapter, then he reads one on his own. It'll allow him to still listen and get the pronounciation of any new words (and you can pause during your reading and check for understanding), give him a rest from your voice, and encourage his own reading (perhaps enabling a higher level of reading comprehension as he tackles his own chapter).

 

I have to say I was surprised when, this year, dd thoroughly enjoyed her 6th grade teacher's reading aloud, tho! There may still be hope...:D

[Mom22ns]

Ds who had language processing issues used to sit beside me so he could see what I was reading. It made a huge difference on how much he processed. We all love read alouds, but it made him "get it" more. I also give him a copy of any book that we read for information instead of just for a story or to hear the language.

 

I don't think giving up read alouds is the end of the world, but they do offer an opportunity to gain language skills that you just don't get from reading to your self. Putting words together with pronunciations, inflections and speech from other places or periods that might be hard to understand in print can be more accessible when heard. See if you can bring the two worlds together by letting him see what you read.

[~Anna~]

I had always assumed my DD would sit next to me and follow along when we start read-alouds. Is that not how you usually do it?

[shanezomom]

I do read alouds while ds moves around the room or sits nearby. For bedtime read alouds I'm propped up on a pillow next to him. We "buddy" read sometimes, but overall he prefers just a boy and his book.