Developing the confidence and mastery needed for reading to be fun
Helping kids with learning disabilities get excited about reading is a difficult task that recalls memories of overwhelming experiences. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
If your child has a learning disability, the most important step is to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Check out Fast ForWord for effective treatment of the root of the problem. This will help your child develop those missing cognitive functions that are necessary for enjoying and succeeding in school and beyond.
Once your child is on the road to retraining his or her brain, you can begin introducing a new way to look at reading. While it was once frustrating and seemingly impossible, it can now be viewed as a fun activity. It introduces new ideas and points of view, all in ways children can relate to deeply. Reading can give lonely children new friends and struggling learners a way to go at their own pace. Try these activities to learn how to get kids excited about reading:
- Introduce comics and graphic novels as alternatives to traditional books. Children need to understand that reading isn’t about finishing another book to get a good grade. It can be entertaining, and the picture-word format of comics might resonate with your child.
- Conduct a scavenger hunt that involves reading simple clues.
- Attend library events. Whether its the summer reading program or craft day, your local library is sure to have fun activities that encourage reading for kids. That extra incentive, along with meeting new friends, can spark a love for literature.
- Introduce the dictionary early. Children often rise to the occasion – and they might do just that if they’re challenged, with an incentive, to learn new words while reading. Create a game out of using one new word learned from reading throughout the day.
- To encourage plot comprehension, encourage your child to draw a scene from the story after reading everyday. This develops creative expression and allows the child to take the story into his own hands.
- Play board games that involve some – but not so much that it’s overwhelming – reading of cards or spaces on the board.
What makes your child get excited about reading? Share your suggestions.