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glinNC
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| Posted: June 05 2012 at 10:20am | IP Logged
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How have you encouraged your boys to read books independently? I read aloud to my 9 & 11 boys, and they do small amounts of reading for their schoolwork, but I’d like to see them pick up a book on their own once in a while! ;-)
Any tips you could share with me would be appreciataed!
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joann10
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| Posted: June 05 2012 at 11:08am | IP Logged
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I got my reluctant readers to become independent readers by making the rule....you can go to bed and go to sleep with lights out, or you can read I your bed for an extra 30 to 60 minutes.....This technique worked to get them started reading for fun and it turned into daytime independent reading.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 05 2012 at 11:50am | IP Logged
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Yes Joann's strategy is great.. for boys and girls and mom and dad 
The other thing is to have on hand things that boys want to read. Not just what you want them to read. And often it's not necessarily story books. What about nature books about yucky bugs? or something like the Dangerous Book for Boys? Books that they liked the movie so they already know that they'll like the story?
I can get mine to "read" better books when they're audio books.. I like getting them the book to follow along in as well as listen to. Yeah it's easy but you don't have to do it for every book but it can really help them find the excitement in books that might be a bit more difficult to read.
I find that it's a discovery process and until you discover what makes the books exciting for them it can be a struggle. When the boys know that the story in the book (or information) is worth it (to them) then they'll put in the effort.
Oh... don't forget the graphic novels like the Tin Tin books.
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organiclilac
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Calvin and Hobbes. I could not believe when my son actually wanted to stay up later to read, but this is what finally did it. Now that he has had the door opened to recreational reading, he's started doing other voluntary reading.
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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)
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JennGM
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We read a lot here. My children see us reading all.the.time. Books are everywhere, same with magazines and newspapers. We frequent the library, and using the unschooling term I "strew" often. We read by themes or authors. Our library box is enticing with the new books. I read aloud every night before bedtime.
We do what Joann says -- the boys have flashlights (and their "moon") and are allowed to read in their bed for a certain amount of time. We also try to have a "quiet" time which only reading or sleeping is allowed.
Our books have a large and wide variety in skill level and type: picture, comic, chapter, and classic books. We listen to books on audio, and that often inspires further reading on their own, or if there is a "latest interest" or current event, I try to pull or check out books related that will encourage that interest.
Another area that encourages reading is encouraging reading and collecting a series, like Hank the Cow Dog, Encyclopedia Brown, Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Narnia, Little House, Swallows and Amazon. We start with one or two titles and have fun searching out the missing titles in the series at used book stores and thrift and antique stores and subsequently reading them.
My sons also notice authors and illustrators, and when they try a book they like, they check out other ones by the same author/illustrator, such as Bill Peet and Jim Arnosky.
We also have nature magazines, Nature Friend and Ranger Rick, which we allow at breakfast and lunch time reading. The subjects in those magazines inspire further reading. A few of the latest sales we found some older back issues of Ranger Rick and my son was just thrilled.
I do allow some comic book format books. I limit it to certain ones: Tin Tin, Asterix, Peanuts, Family Circus, Brother Juniper. I don't allow a diet of only these books, but they are definitely well-loved here. I am constantly amazed at some of the applications that have been from these books. The other day was the spelling rule "i before e except after c" when Charlie Brown was in a Spelling Bee.
(Calvin and Hobbes we tried, but we found there was a bit too much imitation...not a good thing.)
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: June 08 2012 at 6:46am | IP Logged
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My goal this year was to get my 11yo reluctant reader to enjoy reading, and build his reading stamina. I did two things -
First, we follow Joann's rule. When my kids are able to read chapter books they may stay up later at night reading. I usually buy them a book light when they choose their first chapter book. It's kind of a big deal.
Second, and this has the biggest impact on my boys, especially my 11yo - I find a series of books that they really enjoy. For this child, it was the Bush Boys books from CHC. I bought one and when I saw how much he enjoyed it I bought the others. Reading a series is motivational for by sons. Not so much my dd. She would rather skip around. I don't know what it is about the boys though. Maybe it's like moving to the next level in a game. They are very competitive. Whatever the reason, so far it has worked really well. Once they love to read because they want to find out what's going on with their favorite character, it's easy to keep them reading and they will eventually move on to books that aren't part of a series.
A few of the series favorites around here (at various difficulty levels) are -
Redwall books
Bush Boys
Boxcar Children
Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
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Becky
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KackyK
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| Posted: June 08 2012 at 7:10am | IP Logged
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Tracy my boys loved Calvin and Hobbes too! Garfield too. The comic books sit on the kitchen table here mostly. It's like reading the back of that cereal box!
( oh and dare I admit that some Sit on the bathroom counter! )
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KackyK
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JennGM
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| Posted: June 08 2012 at 7:54am | IP Logged
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Becky Parker wrote:
Second, and this has the biggest impact on my boys, especially my 11yo - I find a series of books that they really enjoy. For this child, it was the Bush Boys books from CHC. I bought one and when I saw how much he enjoyed it I bought the others. Reading a series is motivational for by sons. Not so much my dd. She would rather skip around. I don't know what it is about the boys though. Maybe it's like moving to the next level in a game. They are very competitive. Whatever the reason, so far it has worked really well. Once they love to read because they want to find out what's going on with their favorite character, it's easy to keep them reading and they will eventually move on to books that aren't part of a series.
A few of the series favorites around here (at various difficulty levels) are -
Redwall books
Bush Boys
Boxcar Children
Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings Trilogy |
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I have found the same with series. Also sequels or trilogies or more (Melendy Quartet, Gone Away books, Edward Eager. At least with my son, he enters so deeply into the books that he is sad when they end, so knowing that the characters continue in the next book is consoling.
And the longer series feels like competition, like you said, Becky. Conquering a number.
I already said it, but in a similar vein is the love of the author. Once a book is really enjoyed, my son starts looking for more books by the same author.
I love to see the enthusiasm.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Mackfam
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Agreeing with finding a great "boy" series. Several of our favorites have been mentioned, but this list would be missing one of our all time favs if I didn't mention the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody.
For independent reading, these are probably around the 10/11 yo range. It is an excellent, EXCELLENT boy series!
Another strategy is to build on their passion! Sports? Wars/battles? Science?
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Jen Mackintosh
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JennGM
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| Posted: June 08 2012 at 8:07am | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
Agreeing with finding a great "boy" series. Several of our favorites have been mentioned, but this list would be missing one of our all time favs if I didn't mention the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody.
For independent reading, these are probably around the 10/11 yo range. It is an excellent, EXCELLENT boy series! |
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I cannot WAIT until we read these. I've got to get them first, I guess.
MackFarm wrote:
| Another strategy is to build on their passion! Sports? Wars/battles? Science? |
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Totally! We are back to the periodic table of elements and reading voraciously on that again.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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CrunchyMom
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JennGM wrote:
Mackfam wrote:
Agreeing with finding a great "boy" series. Several of our favorites have been mentioned, but this list would be missing one of our all time favs if I didn't mention the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody.
For independent reading, these are probably around the 10/11 yo range. It is an excellent, EXCELLENT boy series! |
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I cannot WAIT until we read these. I've got to get them first, I guess. |
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Your little guys will LOVE them! Just the BEST! Even my biggest guy, dh, loves them
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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glinNC
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| Posted: June 08 2012 at 10:43am | IP Logged
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Awesome suggestions; thank you, all! 
Is there a certain order to the Little Britches series that you can provide me?
Thanks again!! 
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Kristie 4
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| Posted: June 08 2012 at 11:12am | IP Logged
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My 11yos who has a very high reading level and was reading Tolkien quite young really got good at reading with Asterix and Tin tin. I bemoaned it many times, but when he went straight to Narnia and the Hobbit I relaxed a little  . Now my 9yos is following in his footsteps!
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Kristie in Canada
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Getting Boys to Read
