How to Motivate a Reluctant Reader
“How to Motivate a Reluctant Reader”
As a librarian who has a master’s degree in children’s
literature, one of the most common questions I get asked is how can I help my
child love to read? Often, I encounter parents or other concerned adults who
really want an answer to this perplexing question. Let me clarify that I assume
these adults are talking about children who simply don’t like to read or who
lack the motivation to read. These adults are not talking about students who
have real physical struggles with reading, such as those children who are
dyslexic or have a severe deficit in reading compression or fluency. For these
children, their needs are much more specific and they will need the help of
trained and engaged professionals to support them in their learning. However,
for those individuals who lack basic motivation and interest there are
certainly things that all adults can do to help.
My number one recommendation to all adults is to make
reading interesting. In schools, reading is often uninspiring and irrelevant to
students needs and likes. To combat this, adults should let students explore
reading that really interests them. I tell the students in my children’s
literature courses that there is no such thing as a “non-reader”— he or she is
only a reader who has not found the right book yet. So, one of the best things
we can do as adults is to let children explore the wide range of reading out
there that interests them until they are able to find that one text that opens
the amazing world of books to them. Sometimes potential readers will take a
long time exploring their interests before they hit on that book and that’s
okay—it just takes time. It’s important
to note that this variation means that we, as adults, have to step back a
little and let our children explore things we may not feel is the best
quality. I don’t really like to see
children reading the latest book featuring their favorite television
personality, but if that exploration leads them to understand how interesting
and fun reading can be then I’m all for it. I’ve never met a real reader who
does not move on from lower quality work once they find out how cool reading is
and what’s out there. My own personal trajectory was from Nancy Drew to
Dostoevsky, and I’ve found that given time children will take a similar path.
Supported by our guidance and interest, let’s allow children to explore to
their hearts content. And that’s one way to help encourage reluctant readers
straight from “Rachel’s World.”
by Rachel Wadham, host of “Worlds Awaiting”
DISCLAIMER – “WORLDS AWAITING” BOOK REVIEWS:
At
“Worlds Awaiting” we discuss a wide range of information aimed at
supporting adults who want to build literacy skills in their children.
We understand that there is no “one size fits all” approach when it
comes to children’s development, so the information we provide is
intended to reach a wide audience. The books and other resources we
recommend will also naturally cover a wide range of interests and
subject matter that addresses a range of maturity, reading, and
comprehension levels. Since no one understands a child’s needs better
than their caretakers, we encourage families to critically select the
books and resources that meet their own individual needs and standards.