Helping Children Love to Read

Making reading into a step by step chore takes the fun out of reading.  Sure we all need to learn some reading skills so we can read, but learning to love reading can't be taught. As adult,s we can not give it to a child, or force them into it. All we can do is put out our hands to gently shield the small spark until it becomes a fame -- a true love of reading. Brad Wilcox, a BYU education professor, wrote the best article I have ever read on how to encourage children to love to read.

12 Things Not to Say to Young Readers
https://magazine.byu.edu/article/12-things-not-to-say-to-young-readers/

Choosing Books for Your Child

After raising four children and being a professional tutor for 40 years, I've learned that if a child is forced to read books he doesn't like, then he will hate reading and do as little of it as possible. So how do you help your child find the right book for him and become a lover of reading?

In school, most children are placed in reading groups with other children at their reading instructional level.

Instructional reading level is the highest level at which a reader is not independent, but has adequate background knowledge for a topic, and can access text quickly and with no or few errors. Think of independent level as the highest level you would ask a child to read with only a small amount of assistance. http://www.uurc.utah.edu/General/ReadLevels.php

Helping Children Learn to Read the Right Way

Lets face it, we live in a culture where left brain skills are valued in our schools, even though the right brained skills of creativity and problem solving are most needed by adults. Most of elementary school is spent in memorizing details and practicing processes. Since most young children learn in a more right brain way through action, pictures, music, and the whole picture, teaching in a left brained manner requires hours of ineffective, boring drill work such as filling in workbook pages. Some children naturally prefer to use their left brain (memorization, numbers, sequencing, listening to lectures). These children are the ones who do well in elementary school. The more gifted a child is physically (athletic), or visually (visual-spacial, creative), the further they will be from the prevalent teaching style of most elementary school teachers. These are the children who will have trouble learning to read. It is not that they are "defective" or "slow", but simply that they are not being taught in the way that they learn. Just as an orange is not a defective apple, these right brained children are not defective left-brained children. The solution is to teach right brained children to read in their natural right brain way.*

This isn't hard, in fact it is fun. It doesn't require special training, just a love for the child and an understanding of the types of learning styles that fit a right brained person.

Dealing With School Discouragement

When my oldest was young, we dreaded school beginning.  Soon it would start again.  She would come home sobbing, “They called me dumb!”.  By the end of second grade, she knew she was “dumb”.

My heart ached to see someone so young already without hope.  I prayed and studied all I could about those who have difficulty learning.  I found myself remembering my own struggles in elementary school, and wondering why the Lord had not blessed me as others.  I was startled out of my self-pitying mood, as these words filled my mind, “You have not understood.  These are not your weaknesses, but the strengths I have given you.”

Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities is defined as

1. a condition giving rise to difficulties in acquiring knowledge and skills to the level expected of those of the same age, especially when not associated with a physical handicap.

ADHD, ADD, and Autism, though not strictly included, could also be considered  learning disabilities since they affect learning.

I have written many articles about what is called "Learning Disabilities". (See categories "Learning Disabilities) These are posts about coping with weaknesses, and appreciating and developing our strengths. We are all human. We are all "disabled" in some way and gifted in some way.

Auditory Learning

Perceptual Mode-  AUDITORY Learning
The different ways that Left Hemispheric Dominate, Mixed Dominate, and Right Hemispheric Dominate people learn from listening and speaking.

Left Hemispheric Dominate - Primary Learning Channel 
likes to read aloud even when should be reading silently
makes up rhymes
monopolizes conversations
verbalizes all activities

Helping "Those Kids"

When a child is falling behind is school, the first thing I do is assume is that I am dealing with a person who is a bit different from the norm; a person who is having trouble coping with an establishment which does not nurture or even recognize his unique gifts, but instead