Pls help!! How to keep up our children's reading interest??

chong

My girl used to like reading, but lately I noticed that she has been loosing the inerest (she is now 6 yrs old).  Whenever I suggest her to pick one to read together, she always refuses (she still likes to borrow and buy books but just put it aside afterwards).  I know it isn't a good idea to FORCE her to do regular reading but what can do to motivate her reading interest and keep it up??  

She still fond of listening to the story but not reading the words, and don't like me to read the "WORDS" or point to the words while i'm telling the stories.  

Any good solutions or experiences to share?  Many thanks.

chong

thanks for your advice. Hope I can find a way to let her continuing this good habbit.

marinayiu

我女兒5歲(K2), 每天睡前都必須要我講書給她聽, 她很有興趣聽, 但就不會自己看書, 就算看都只是看圖畫, 有時我叫她讀給我聽, 她就沒有興趣了. 我想知道這是必經階段嗎? 是否還需再大些才能自己看書?  我知道她很多字都不認識.

calton123

唉...........
原來天下烏鴉一樣黑。
My daughter 100% same case
She likes to listen the story only.

    

need to make it a fun activity, it is not for learning, not for recognising words, but just for fun.

Thank you very much

  

Darrenma

Hi Marinayiu,
我仔仔亦都係K2，亦有妳所講嘅問題，叫佢自己試吓睇，佢就淨係睇圖畫。但自從我發覺佢好肯朗讀學校派回來的故事書後(上堂時全班一起朗讀多遍的書)，我就諗到個問題係佢有D字識，有D字唔識，所以冇興趣同信心自己睇(而學校嗰D老師教到熟哂)，我而家嘗試用另一個方法鼓勵佢，首先揾D啱佢年紀同程度嘅書，同佢閱讀時就指住D字叫佢自己逐個逐個讀出嚟，佢唔識就讀佢聽，咁下次又指住叫佢讀，重覆多次，同時一路讚吓佢，等佢有信心讀落去，佢而家都肯自已讀番出嚟。

LilianSze

Darrenma,
my son is exactly the same as ur son now. I am using the same way as u did, which is work. Once I got chance to read story book together wz him(the story book fm library, I will still read the story book by pointing the words n encourage him to read the words that I know him knew aldy, give him great encouragement. Luckily, he didn't refuse to read thru wz me now. .. Ha Ha...  

marinayiu

Darrenma 寫道:
Hi Marinayiu,
我而家嘗試用另一個方法鼓勵佢，首先揾D啱佢年紀同程度嘅書，同佢閱讀時就指住D字叫佢自己逐個逐個讀出嚟，佢唔識就讀佢聽，咁下次又指住叫佢讀，重覆多次，同時一路讚吓佢，等佢有信心讀落去，佢而家都肯自已讀番出嚟。

我也嘗試過給一些簡單的書叫女兒讀, 她也可以讀出來, 但我覺得她並非真的識字, 而係背出來的.

小孩子的天空

其實k.2只看圖畫是十分正常
小朋友可以讀出來, 但並非真的識字也不要緊
在朗讀的過程中他們可以學到句子的結構
也可以學到中英文文法上的不同......

不要用大人的眼光去看應怎樣閱讀,他們還小呢......

上了小一你就會發覺會有些得着..........

但我肯定我已有收穫------->親子關係

marinayiu

小孩子的天空 寫道:
其實k.2只看圖畫是十分正常
小朋友可以讀出來, 但並非真的識字也不要緊
在朗讀的過程中他們可以學到句子的結構
也可以學到中英文文法上的不同......

不要用大人的眼光去看應怎樣閱讀,他們還小呢......

上了小一你就會發覺會有些得着..........

但我肯定我已有收穫------->親子關係

yes  

跟她讀了不少書, 雖然年紀細細, 都懂得很多書面語和一些形容詞, 我想這些也算是收穫了.

Darrenma

Dear All,

Let's keep up our good work!

LilianSze

Hi Marinayiu,
I am truly agree what you said that he did know lots of the adjustive from their conservations now...(which I didn't realize before ....)

loupou

Hi,

This is how I helped to keep my kids interested in reading English. I don't know if it would apply to Chinese or not.

1) Keep on reading aloud to her. My kids (7 & 9) like me to read aloud, and I will usually put my finger under the words as I read, but not make a "big deal" out of it. If they are in a good mood, I sometimes propose that I read one page & they read the next.

2) Choose interesting books. My son (7) wanted me to read him the Star Wars books, and I did but they were so BORING for me. Now we are reading Harry Potter, which I enjoy much more.

3) Don't be worried about re-reading books that they like. There are some kids books that I think I could recite from memory ("The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind or another....").

4) Movie/video of books. My kids like "Black Beauty" "The Secret Garden" and "Narnia" and the movies made from the books reinforce or interest them in the story.

5) Comic books are OK. My daughter really started reading a lot on her own because she liked Tin Tin.

6) Non-story books are OK. My son likes me to read from books about snakes and reptiles and spiders. Often he just wants me to read the captions of the  pictures and that's OK too.
**********

Just to add. I basically could not read at all when I was almost 7 years old (not a very good school, or else I was a late bloomer). But, I loved TV and stories.

So my step-dad decided to read aloud to me a lot. Every night, for at least a half hour, he read to me the entire Narnia series; he read aloud to me the entire Lord of the Rings; by the time I was almost 9, I started reading and re-reading myself, because then I knew that what was in books was fun and interesting. By the time I was 11, I was a real "book worm" and am still one today. Reading is my greatest pleasure.

chong

marinayiu

my case is very alike yours..   :cry: .  Hope the situation will improve all of a sudden if we are patient enough to keep her reading joyfully..    .

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To all moms :

By the way, I've lately borrowed a few simple comics i.e.  牛仔 which i guess most of you know that each story wilth only 4 pictures WITHOUT words, except the title of each story.  I found her quite interested in reading it, and sometimes she will try to see if she can recognize the title words.  

I donno if i'm doing it right as i donno if it is good to let her start with reading with these kinds of books (to rebuild her interest of reading )or it will end up making her lazier in reading books with words

Please share your comments!!     

Thank you.

tabo33

Matt'smum, loupou 和各媽咪,
Thanks for the sharing!
我仔仔都是P2,我持續地每天睡前都會同仔仔read aloud,有時中,有時英.最近他突然自己可以閱讀中文書(小說),真的是大突破.雖然英文書仲要陪住,但我相信如果他的詞彙足夠的話,他便可以自己可以閱讀了.
其實我經驗告訴我,一定要持之以恆,給予小朋友閱讀的樂趣,小朋友到時自然就會做到.
p.s.謝謝loupou的提醒,我都去買本harry porter同我仔仔一齊看先.
tabo  

greatgirl

Dear Parents,
Loupou and his/her step-dad are doing the exact right thing. 1st - make kids like hearing stories from you, one day they'll ask to read the story to you, and sometimes will ask you to read it to them again, just follow their heart.
For other parents to have kids just 4-7 years old, simply stop to ask or intend to test your children for any words they'v learnt or ask them to read it loud etc. You'l just make them feel they'r reading a text book instead of a story book. They'r enjoying to the books because of the story and already "dive" into the imagination. No matter it's "牛仔" or others, you are building up a reading hobby for them, there's no sign at the moment, it's just like planting a seed in their soul. But if you are overreact to their performance and too aggressive to get the result, you will be failed.  
My daughter is almost 9 now, before 8 she just love simple picture story book, then suddenly when she's in P.3, she ask for chapter books. (I believe because I had read lots of books to her since she was 1 yr old, she already learnt lots of vocab. in her heart) Now she can read the chapter books by herself and I still choose some other topics books like Loupou did i.e books about reptiles and animals, environment, human body and history etc. Because these involves lots of words that still need me read to her, and she shows great interest, plus I also learn from these science books too.
Be patient, parents!!

Caremyson

spend time reading books with your child. let you child choose books interest them.