Getting son to read

Sandra - posted on 10/04/2009

i find that hard too. my daughter has problems with reading too. she forgets to wear her glasses a lot of the time. she has gotten a lot better with it over time and is actually starting to sound out words she doesn't know in 2nd grade. have you tried reading with him? i don't know how old he is but also try to get a story reader which reads out loud to them and helps them to start reading. my daughter actually liked it. just know that in time it will get easier!

Mindi - posted on 10/04/2009

I was a teacher for 10 years, and I think if he is crying about this, he does not know how to read well. I'm not sure how old your son is, but the VERY BEST way to work on reading with your child is a book called "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" (or something like that - you can look it up at Barnes and Noble). This book teaches your child to read using the sounds of the letters. You do a lesson a day (we didn't do all 100), and he will be reading much better. My son learned to read at age 4 using this book, and he is very good at sounding out words due to the way this book taught him to read. It's VERY easy to go through the lessons - step-by-step with no preparation for you, and he will become a very competent reader. Remember though, that even when he can read, he will still need you to read with him for a while until he is ready to go off and read by himself. Good luck!

Bina - posted on 10/02/2009

Let him choose his books> I know it's expensive, but going book shopping really helps! Besides it can be your time with him. Read a bit, talk, joke and discuss while you take turns reading with him. Make it fun, not a chore.

Cathy - posted on 10/01/2009

let him read anything! cereal boxes, Captain Underpants, knock knock joke book anything at all. And also you can read the 15 minutes to him. I know he is suppose to read but it's more important to get him intrested in written word and enjoying what a book has to offer and work in reading 1 sentence, 2 sentances, 1 minute, 2 minutes, a chapter and soon you will be at 15 minutes

Rebecca - posted on 10/01/2009

Let him pick put his books. Let him read one page and you read the other. My daughter doesn't like reading all the time but you have to make fun with it. She also is required to read every night. No matter how you get them to read just have them do it. It helps to ask his teacher what they are required to read also. Does he have a favorite TV show or Superhero? If so check your library to see if books are available. Let him get his own libray card and visit it often. Let him see how many choices he can make at the library and he will have fun with it. Good luck!

Carol - posted on 10/01/2009

If it's a problem reading I suggest Hooked on Phonics. They make a computer based series for grades 3-6 and a CD/book series for Grades K-2. My son started with the K-2 last year at age 5 and finished a day shy of turning 6 with the grade 6 level. Each lesson has exercises that you can do together at the beginning and a small (gradually getting bigger) reading portion to finish up. We spent no more than 15-20 minutes on each lesson. I LOVE the program and my son is an ace reader now.



If it's just hating reading I agree with all the other moms here - let him read what he wants to. Go to the bookstore or library and let him pick a subject. Alternating between you reading and him reading also helps.

Katherine - posted on 10/01/2009

I'm not sure how old your son is but when it come to reading you can cheat a little my girls use the Leapfrog Tag & over time they stopped using the pen & started to read to books without them, another thing I tired was letting them read what they want to read & had story night as a family even if I was reading Harry Potter they got intrested & wanted to try & read the books out loud which has been great cause we now enjoy the kids reading us the bed time stories... make it fun maybe have a fun quiz after he reads his school books, you read the book before hand & talk about it & make it sound intresting, if he thinks you like the book maybe he'll like the book too!

Kelly - posted on 09/30/2009

try and find what he is interested in because believe me they won't want to read if they find the book "boring". And i would read to him as well as have him read to you make it fun for him put on silly voices for different characters etc. good luck!

Phoebe - posted on 09/30/2009

this is want i do with my 8 year son who has no interest in reading.instead of him reading for 15 mins a night bye hiself. i go in with him and he reads to me for 15 mins.

Tammy - posted on 09/30/2009

i have the same problem with my son. but, i got him books on his favorite cartoons. thomas, clifford and his favorite reptiles ( which are snakes and spiders). I can get him to read those and then he lets me read more to him as well. he has never not even as a baby liked me to read to him. but with these books i can.

Monica - posted on 09/30/2009

My son is just starting to read since he is in first grade however he hates reading, He reads a page and then I read one and that seems to work for now but I find it hard to keep in attention with books but I found that if I find books to go with the holiday approaching like Halloween and make it sound scary, funny etc he likes it much better, try that and see if it helps. good luck

Jodi - posted on 09/29/2009

My son is 12 and he hates reading books too. However, he does enjoy reading the Sports pages in the newspaper, comic books, magazines, joke books, etc. It really doesn't matter what they read, as long as they are reading something.

Deborah-Lee - posted on 09/29/2009

Get him books about thing that he has an interest in and then get him to read to you and with you.

Donia - posted on 09/29/2009

it doesn't matter WHAT they read - so if he doesn't like reading books, get him magazines. I get my son National Geographic, and NSPCC, cos he is into that stuff, and he will sit and read for ages, because he is interested in it.
Or Doctor Who magazines - you can pretty much get mags on every tv character these days

Alia - posted on 09/28/2009

If he is reacting that strongly to a quiz it could be that he is having difficulties with reading. You could try reading with him... one thing I've tried to do is to read one section and then let my kids read another part. It may be that he just doesn't like the book either. try going to the library and let him choose what he likes.

Monica - posted on 09/28/2009

I do not know what grade your son is in but my 8 year old is in 3rd grade and still struggles with his fluency when he reads. He is a perfectionist and even sounds out the words that he already knows. After about the 4th sentence he wants to give up so I make a deal with him. I tell him that if he reads the first paragraph then I would read the second paragraph, and so forth. After about the 3rd day, I have him reading most of the story or timed sheet that the school sends home. Also, if the teacher hasn't noticed that he is having trouble with his reading, you might want to meet with the teacher about it and if the school has a reading interventionist then talk to them about putting him with that teacher a little bit through the day. Hope this helps

Jackie - posted on 09/28/2009

get him some books he would like as in things he like as super hero they make hooked on phonic book in ages an stages of reading an they make them in super heros an all kinds my daughter loves to read those an so do my boys an there ages are daughter 8 an boys 5 an 6