Help! How to bring in great books/quality literature...

[Rosy]

...for a child who has grown accustomed to simpler, less substantive works?

 

My daughter is a great reader, but for the longest time I couldn't get her to read more than a few pages of anything before she decided she didn't like it. She did read a few good quality books, but she didn't really start enjoying reading until she found the Magic Tree House books and then the American Girl books.

 

Anyway, I don't mind her reading those books and those like them, but I would like to start steering her toward more substantive books, classics, etc.

 

How do I do that? Thanks for any help you can give!

[mom4him]

My dd is nine and just starting to really gobble up chapter books. I have been pretty much letting her read what she wants and I read the classics out loud to both kids. I guess I feel that they will both gain a love for them as they hear them.

[joannqn]

Let her read whatever she likes most of the time. It will build her enjoyment of reading.

 

Meanwhile, read the higher quality reading to her. We do this at bedtime every night. My kids LOVE bedtime now. When reading aloud, I usually choose books above their grade level and sometimes above their reading level. After she gets used to hearing classics read to her, you can start assigning some classics at her reading level that you think she'd like...or even do it now.

[stripe]

Start with books that are more interesting / funny/ adventurous, not ones that are sort of ponderous or mired in long, extravagant descriptions. Like "A Bear Called Paddington" as opposed to "Winnie the Pooh."

[Liza Q]

I assign certain books during schooltime and then let her choose her own books for her free reading.

 

Two of the first books I assigned her were The Hundred Dresses and The Best-Loved Doll. Simple, even picturebookish, but thoughtful and beautifully written.

 

hth

 

ETA: I have a pile of books that I want to assign and she can choose from that pile. Sometimes she does not like an assigned book but she now has some new favorites!

Edited April 6, 2009 by Liza Q

[Ellie]

I let my dc read whatever they wanted to read. I read to them the books I thought were important, or not necessarily books they'd choose on their own. We read one chapter a day, right after lunch, from the book of my choice. They always loved the books I chose.:) Eventually, they read more substantive books all own their own.

[klmama]

I read aloud to my dc from high-quality literature. Often, when I'm done reading a book, one of my dc wants to reread it. I always let them!

[RoughCollie]

I read aloud to the kids a lot. Most days when they were in elementary school, we had "Lunch & Lit". I also read aloud many of the books in the SOTW activity thing, and a lot of books from the Sonlight lists.

[Jean in Wisc]

I collected books--used, new--all the classics and great books I could find. I piled them on old and new and more new bookcases. I read these books out loud to them during the day, at lunch time, and in the evening. Then I required my kids to go to bed early and allowed them to read if they were not tired...and then I failed to get to the library for new books often enough that they had to find something to read from my book shelves...and now the classics are simply part of their lives.

 

Me to ds 16: What are you reading tonight?

 

Ds16: The Scarlet Letter

 

???

 

LOL!

Jean

[MamaT]

When they were just starting with chapter books, I let them read whatever they wanted. Like the other posters, I read good books to them (still do). They have an assigned book they are required to read now, and can pick whatever they want to read for fun. Their required books are good literature. I am bad about not getting to the library as often as I should, so they pick whatever is here in our library at home. Mostly now they will choose to read good quality literature.

[blessedmother]

I assign my children one chapter a day out of "classic quality literature" and then the rest of their reading is their choice. I also occasionally read aloud a classic. It has worked well for my kids. For your daughter start off with easy reading children classics:

 

Charlotte's Web

Stuart Little

The Trumpet and the Swan

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House on the Praire

By the Banks of Plum Creek

Farmer Boy

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Skylark

Homer Price

The Courage of Sarah Noble

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Strawberry Girl

 

As your daughter matures and grows in her love of reading then the titles can become longer and more difficult.:001_smile:

[Country Mouse]

You might look into Junior Great Books from the Great Books Foundation. It is a program that gives short stories or excerpts from longer works for children to read and then discuss. I think it starts as young as second grade or younger. It is a good way to infuse quality literature in smaller doses. Plus they have accompanying discussion questions and activities. JGB can be done with a group or individually.

We do JGB with a group.

[Heather in Neverland]

I do a combo of "assigned" reading, "his choice reading", reading the classics aloud and (although I know some don't agree with this) letting ds read the "great illustrated classics" version or a children's version now in preparation for the real thing later.

 

For instance, this year ds has read:

 

Gilgamesh the Hero

Black Ships Before Troy

The Wanderings of Odysseus

The Aeneid for Boys and Girls

 

To name a few. When we hit these in the next round he will read the real thing. HTH!

[Hannah]

My 9yo loves listening to audiobooks while she is drawing or playing. Our library does not have any, so ours are all bought or downloaded.

 

I also read aloud to her the books I want her to hear.

[Rosy]

Thanks everyone! I haven't been great with the read-alouds lately...I can see that being a great way to bring in the kinds of books I want her to love. I appreciate everyone's input (and book recommendations too!).

[Cedarmom]

Another idea is books on cd. These are great fun on car trips,or to relax and listen to in the afternoon.

[skaterbabs]

We take a slightly different route. I've discovered that car trips in our family are far less stressful when we listen to audiobooks, so I pick selections that are adult-friendly ;) but meaty children's books. Harry Potter, Aragon, Peter Pan, Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, Little Women, Great Expectations, Little House on the Prairie, etc. Later when one of the kids picks up a books we've already listened to, it's familiar enough that it's not intimidating.

[brehon]

I assign my children one chapter a day out of "classic quality literature" and then the rest of their reading is their choice. I also occasionally read aloud a classic. It has worked well for my kids. For your daughter start off with easy reading children classics:

 

Charlotte's Web

Stuart Little

The Trumpet and the Swan

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House on the Praire

By the Banks of Plum Creek

Farmer Boy

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Skylark

Homer Price

The Courage of Sarah Noble

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Strawberry Girl

 

As your daughter matures and grows in her love of reading then the titles can become longer and more difficult.:001_smile:

 

Oooh...I like this. My son is in the really aggravating (for me ;)) "I don't like to read" stage. He still thinks he can't read despite the fact that he can. :001_huh: :tongue_smilie: It is a confidence issue, I know; I just need to find a way to get him over the hump. And while Calvin and Hobbes has helped, I don't want him to think he can *only* read comics (and I'm not too enamoured of some of the episodes occuring around the house right now). Anyway, I may start something similar to this.