Aug 4, 2014 by Yolanda Fontanez-Coleman | Reading, Summer Slide Prevention
“I don’t want to read!” “ Reading is not fun.” Are you hearing these complaints in your home?
It is now July and the motivation for reading may not be the same as it was in earlier in the summer. It is normal for kids to give some resistance toward their summer reading requirements. Giving your children alternate options to their reading selections may increase their reading motivation. A variety of literature texts will jumpstart their reading and motivate them to read more.
Just recently during our family reading time, I gave my kids the option to choose a current event of their choice from Tween Tribune. They were so excited that they were taking a “break” from their required reading books. They joyfully hopped on the computers and began researching articles to read.
My youngest has a passion for dogs and selected to read an article about how dogs in Mexico are pampered. While reading this article together we laughed and enjoyed learning how some dogs are spoiled. My older twin likes to read about empowering stories that involve girls and sports. She selected a story about a cheerleader who is blind. This article taught her about overcoming adversity. It also sparked her interest about the sport of cheerleading and increased her motivation to learn more about people who are blind. My younger twin enjoys reading about science therefore it was a perfect fit for her to select an article from the “Ask Smithsonian” section. She was so intrigued at the thought of making a man out of a monkey. This article inspired great conversations for a few days in our home.
This site was just what my kids needed to spark the joy of reading again! Give it a try. Your kids may like reading again and watch out you may find yourself wrapped up in the articles too! Let us know what you think. Happy reading!