Will you read to me?

Last week I went to hear a speaker talk about reading, and getting parents to be able to get their kids at home. I went for two reasons. I'm a parent, and I'm a teacher. I get the dreaded question of 'how do I get him to read at home' all the time, and the answer isn't really all that easy.

Gary Johnson put it all into words and it was awesome and simple. How cool is that.

I am going to share it because I think it is important. I know a whopping 5 people read this blog, but maybe somebody will fall upon it and be able to use it...
Here are the steps of how to get young kids to read.
*this is word for word from his presentation...*
1. They'll do what you do.
How easy is that? Sit down, read. Even pretend. Just do it.

2. Make it easy to read.
Eliminate the things that make it hard (t.v.) 2/3 of kids don't read because they have a tv in their BEDROOM. Why would they want to read???? GET RID OF THE BOOB TUBE IN THE KIDS ROOM (he is a huge proponent of that!)

3. Good choice/bad choice at point of boredom
Your child is bored and cranky. It's close to bedtime. They really should be doing something constructive INSTEAD of watching tv. Encourage your child to make a choice. Read with dad or go to bed? If you read with dad, you get popcorn, go to bed, it's lights out. They will generally pick the reading. If not, let him go, try it again another night, he'll come back sooner or later. :)

4. Side by side
Read side by side. Snuggled up. They won't remember necessarily what was read but the moment shared. Gary says it blurs the line between loving dad and loving to read. (so sweet....)

5. Stop?
Don't stop at the end of the chapter. Stop right before. It entices the child to want to keep reading OR will keep them interested for tomorrow's reading time.

6. Stuff to read at all points of boredom
Crucial to make it easy to read. The breakfast table is the best place, whether it is the cereal box, comics, or the book that was being read the night before. Don't make the books hard to access at home. Spread them out for the little ones.

Really, this is the easiest concept, but besides saying to the parent across the table at conferences, 'it really helps just to read with him', I didn't have much.

Mr. Johnston also shared that the majority of families stop reading to their children at the age of 5, when the start kindergarten. If it is continued to the age of 10 the children are proved to be children who LOVE reading. AMAZING!