mmasc Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 My DS5 (will be six in two weeks) seems to have lost interest in read-alouds. He is finishing K, beginning reader (cvc words), and previously enjoyed them. He is quite a busy boy, so I'm not sure if it's a stage of not wanting to sit still, or if he thinks it's 'school' and doesn't want to listen?We've read to him since birth! I've tried books on tape, letting him pick books from the library, fiction and non-fiction, you name it! He likes Curious George books and Freckle Juice, and that's it. I've tried letting him color during reading, cozying up on the couch, different times of day... Help! Any tips? Give him time? Make him sit and listen? Take a break from read-alouds? I'm stressed about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Aw, don't stress about it! I'd take a break, for however long you feel like (I personally would try at least a week or two). Then I'd start back with an audiobook, because it's something you could just put on in the background while you're all in the room doing other things. I wouldn't make him sit and listen--for most kids that would be the quickest way to kill any joy of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 You could try reading during a meal, perhaps breakfast or lunch. Then you might get him hooked on the story. A boy who likes Curious George and Freckle Juice might also like The Chocolate Touch or The Mouse and the Motorcycle. And there's nothing wrong with reading favorites over and over again. When my ds was little, we must have read Tom Mouse by Ursula LeGuin a hundred times one summer. (Really! Multiple times a day. I could probably still recite it by heart.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Give him something to do with his hands while you read. Lego blocks, coloring, drawing on blank paper, taking things apart with a screwdriver. I don't quite know how boys manage to be listening when they are running doing other things (it doesn't work well for me) and yet it seems to help them focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisha Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 My son was like that a couple years ago when he was 5. Basically his issues were "boring" meaning it was slow starting; not enough pictures, and having to stop when things got exciting without being able to finish the book. (He's also a sensitive child, so got scared at even the slightest thing. What worked for me was starting with longer, but still chapter books like the Mercy Watson or Nate the Great books. Also Dick King-Smith has a lot of good ones for this age. It just takes time-we still have problems, but I think I've convinced him that longer books ARE fun. But, yes, I took periodic breaks from the idea, then tried again. Did that process quite a few times until finally, he sat through a longer book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowergirl159 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Yes, definitely try the mealtime readings. While they are eating, they are usually a captive audience. I wouldn't do this for each meal though, you don't want to turn him off. Bedtime reading is another good place for this age. You can read light short chapter books then, just one chapter each evening. Encourage him to lay still and quiet while you read. My youngest often goes off to sleep while I am reading at bedtime, especially during chapter books because there are no pictures to distract them. Charlottes Web, Milly Molly Mandy are all short chapter books that might work. There are many more, just can't think of them right now. I usually have her choose two picture books for bedtime, once I have read those then its time for a chapter. Perhaps you could ask if he would like to choose one picture book for bedtime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Great suggestions! Thank you for the tips! I'm definitely trying the mealtime reading and looking at the book suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 At that age my dd played in the yard and ran around while I read aloud. I thought it was normal. :lol: She later had evals and got a label btw. ;) So yeah, let him run, play, do anything he wants. More read alouds, not less, but let him move all he wants. Also put on audiobooks and just crank them up so he can play anything he wants. There is no need to be still. Some people learn better when they're in motion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Bedtime works for us at that age. They like to cozy up with their blankets and soft toys for read a loud. Besides they prefer my hubby's voice for read a loud :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I would take a short break but...that said...here's what what we do. Audiobooks during breakfast and lunch. Not during dinner...that's usually when we have our whole family (including daddy) together for a meal so there's a lot of talking. At that age, my kiddos are not generally as interested in the audiobook, but as they get a bit older, they grow into the process of sitting and listening. Some books are more attentive than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 My kids have done everything from arts, crafts, construction toys, dolls, bouncing on an exercise ball and tumbling on a gymnastics mat while we read aloud to them. Try reading very different kinds of books-particularly ones outside their own range of experiences like Ralph Moody's Little Britches Series and The Chronicles on Narnia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymonster Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 We get the most traction with audio books while driving in the van. The little one is nice and strapped in his chair, holding onto or so Legos. We get through a goodly number of books this way. :driving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I have one dc who naturally loves to be read to and another who could take it or leave it. With that one, it is imperative that reading aloud be just a normal part of his routine. It is just what we do at that particular time. We start and end the day with a read-aloud. He is allowed to do just about anything during read-aloud time, except read something else. Audio books in the car are helpful, too, since he is a captive audience. I also put a lot of effort into finding books that will be highly interesting to him. Funny thing is that if I give him a choice, he will never want me to read to him. But very often, once I am reading, he asks me to keep going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I have one dc who naturally loves to be read to and another who could take it or leave it. With that one, it is imperative that reading aloud be just a normal part of his routine. It is just what we do at that particular time. We start and end the day with a read-aloud. He is allowed to do just about anything during read-aloud time, except read something else. Audio books in the car are helpful, too, since he is a captive audience. I also put a lot of effort into finding books that will be highly interesting to him. Funny thing is that if I give him a choice, he will never want me to read to him. But very often, once I am reading, he asks me to keep going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 We get the most traction with audio books while driving in the van. The little one is nice and strapped in his chair, holding onto or so Legos. We get through a goodly number of books this way. :driving: Yes, this is great! My dd likes to be read to for a little while and can focus if she's sitting with me looking at the occasional picture, but if I put an audio book on at home she doesn't listen for long. Soon she'll run around, sing, hum, etc. However, in the car she will listen for a long time and pay attention. We enjoyed Redwall on our last road trip, and Henry and Ribsy on the one before that. Her attention span is greatly improving now that she is reading for herself. She read a whole chapter of Story of the World to me yesterday afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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