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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Dec 03 2012 at 10:31pm | IP Logged
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My 11 year old (6th grade) hates to read alone when it comes to certain subjects. This year it is history and last year it was science. He says he doesn't understand, but the reading level of the book should be fine for him. I need to help him with this because I will be expecting more from him next year (and high school is getting close). All I know is that he struggles more with topics he isn't that interest in or subject completely new to him. This year he is doing all his science alone (except for some help with experiments) and his retension is extremely low. I feel like he is wasting his time. What should I do to help him ease into more reading on his own?
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 12:11am | IP Logged
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What about shortening the time spent on them? I know when I'm reading new material and harder reading levels that I need to take it in smaller chunks. And more review. Actually, I prefer to grab something.. maybe a movie to introduce the topic.. then when I read it, I have more of a framework to tack it to.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 6:35am | IP Logged
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Yes, I agree with Jodie...drop back the amount he should read for a bit in those subjects. Even down to 1 - 2 pages if necessary.
Also, it's possible that whatever he's reading is really hard to get into. Take a close look at the books you've assigned. Perhaps the book is extremely dry? Maybe he has an interest in a particular aspect of history or science, and a conversation with him would yield that information and you could find some really great, living books on those topics. You can build from there.
Keep it short. Keep it living. Build from a place that he is genuinely interested in.
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Jen Mackintosh
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: Dec 07 2012 at 7:23am | IP Logged
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Great advice already!
Get a framework going then lots of living books and resources to fill in the details.
Another something to consider - what facts MUST he know? Present those to him in some sort of interesting way; then ask him what areas he would like to explore further (he must choose something or a minimum amount - set by you). This way, he has some say in the direction with the boundary that he must do something.
Then he might come back to the textbook on his own! After he's had some of the other stuff.
(I aced a college history course and never touched the required texts! All through movies, living books and a few non-living books (bleck) that at least filled in some details).
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SallyT
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I agree -- small increments of something that's going to feel, ultimately, like a worthwhile read. For my 10-year-old son, that's what makes the medicine go down. Some books he just devours, but others -- I'm thinking in particular of a book about St. Edmund Campion that he's been reading this term, which he really resisted at first, because he has this thing about saint stories -- he has had to read page by page. I think he has picked up the pace on St. Edmund by this time, having gotten drawn into the story, but then that's this kid's MO: hate any book Mom wants him to read, so that he has to be forced to read it at all, and then get sucked in and decide it's the best book ever written. Over and over . . . these are the days of our lives.
For various reasons, with my younger kids, I keep the reading for some subjects minimal in the sense of not assigning lots of books, just one or two books to last that child the term or the year, because I know that the reading is going to be slow going and the need for time to digest it is high. (I am talking about living books, by the way, not textbooks, which we're not using) We have lots of books going all the time as read-alouds, but the child's own reading project in, say, history or science or religion, is a slower, more focused affair.
Sally
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Dec 07 2012 at 9:33am | IP Logged
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I've got some ideas to work on now.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Helping a child with independent reading
