Reluctant readers

Top picks for a reluctant reader boy

We’ve had a couple of reading a-ha moments lately that I just had to share. While my older guy has gotten hooked on The Hunger Games trilogy (he’s reading Mockingjay at the moment), and finishes any book he starts whether he enjoys it or not as a matter of principle, my younger guy often flits from book to book. Starting many, finishing few.

(In case you’re interested in The Hunger Games,  check out the new trailer that’s just been released!)

Back to my younger guy. Lately we’ve hit on a few books that he’s thoroughly enjoyed (and finished!), so I feel it is safe to call them top picks for reluctant reader boys. Here they are!

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (Book One)

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (Book One) Michael Buckley 

He’s about half-way through this first book, and keeps coming to find me to describe where he’s at, and what new, funny think has just happened to Jackson, one of the main characters. To me, that is huge: not only is he enjoying reading it, but it is something he wants to share, as well. Yess!  Check out the review from Amazon.

Darth Paper Strikes Back: An Origami Yoda Book (Tom Angleberger)

My guy enjoyed the Origami Yoda follow up even more than the original, and that’s saying a lot! The bonus instructions for folding your own darth paper were a huge hit, too! Check out the review from Amazon.

Big Nate: In […]

By |November 14th, 2011|Book recommendations, Reluctant readers|2 Comments
Read More

My kid’s got the Assigned Reading Blues

Assigned Reading AnxietyMy kids are finishing up their mid-term break this weekend, and it’s been great fun for them. They’ve had fabulous outings with grandparents, play dates with friends, and chilling-out time with us at the cottage.

My younger guy, however, has had a little black cloud hanging over his head for most of the week because he had 2 pretty major reading assignments, one in English, and one in French, due when he goes back this week.

You know about my passion for getting kids to read, and how important I know it is. But I have a problem with this kind of assigned reading, when kids almost can’t help but associate reading with feelings of negativity, and almost despair.

Neither one of these books were books of his choice, and neither are they what one would call a classic. I would feel a bit better about it had one of these been the case. For their French assignment, they were given a few minutes in the school library to pick a book off the shelves, and THAT was what they had to read. Make the wrong choice, as my son appears to have done, and it’s simply too bad. It’s back to school in 2 days, and he’s struggling to get through 180 boring pages. And believe me, he is counting every page and minute.

His English assignment was slightly better, in that they had to choose from the Classic Starts collection, so at least he read something worthwhile (Robin Hood).

I would much prefer the teachers had asked them to do a set amount of reading per day, with books of their choices, rather than […]

By |October 30th, 2011|Reluctant readers, Uncategorized|2 Comments
Read More

5 Reasons Why Your Kids Shouldn’t Read

Sometimes, it feels like you’re banging your head against a wall trying to get those kids of yours to read. Do you want my advice? Don’t bother. Here are my top 5 reasons why your kids should stay away from books.

  1. The more kids read, the more they know.Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader

    2. Seriously, who wants kids to know stuff? Just think about all the conversations you’ll be forced to have about topics you may know nothing about. It’s enough they learn all this stuff in school, and then bug us with homework we can’t remember how to do anymore. Are YOU smarter than a fifth grader? I know I’m not, and I certainly don’t need my kids trying to outsmart me with all the things they’ll learn from reading.

  2. When kids read, they can lose themselves in imaginary worlds

    3. Narnia? Hogwarts? Camp Half-Blood? Seriously, those places do not exist, and pretending they do is just plain silly. Will knowing where to place them on an imaginary map help my kid with his geography grade? Will reading about how to train a dragon get my boys to walk their dog more often? I think not. Why let them dream about far-away, fairytale lands when real life is always so wonderful?

  3. Kids who read, succeed

    4. Research has shown that the more you read, the smarter you become, and that reading directly affects a child’s intellectual development. Who wants successful children? You know what that means, don’t you: a successful child is one that will eventually leave home. Now, I know you love your children. Love them more than life itself, right? […]

By |October 19th, 2011|Reluctant readers|2 Comments
Read More

How to log reading time on Reading Rewards

It’s the start of a brand new school year, and we thought we’d put together a few posts with some detailed instructions for all our new users! We’re very excited to welcome you on board our community of young readers.

In this first tutorial, we’d like to show you how to log your reading time.

  1. Sign in to Reading Rewards by clicking on the ‘Login’ button from the welcome page. Don’t have an account yet? Make sure you use the sign-up button, first. It’s free!
  2. This will take you automatically to your ‘My Reading’ page. This page is divided into in 4 main sections:
    • My Library shows you all the books you have read or are reading.
    • My Wishlist contains your book wish list.
    • My Profile shows you your summary statistics and reading level
    • Log Reading Time, which shows you your reading log history.
  3. Click on ‘Log Reading Time’ in your Reading Log section:
    Log Reading Time
  4. That will take you to the Reading Log Detail screen below
    reading log details
  5. If you are adding a new book, the following screen will open up:
  6. Once you have clicked on the book title, you will be taken to the following screen. Click on ‘Add to my Library’.
    Add book to reading log
  7. This will take you back to the Reading Log Detail screen:”reading
By |August 24th, 2011|Reading Rewards, Reluctant readers|3 Comments
Read More

How to pick the best books for your kids: 10 top tips!

Secret to picking best books for kids

I’m going to let you in on a secret. And it’s a biggie. Getting kids to read is simple, really. Astonishingly so, in fact. And I am going to share it with you, now.

Ready? You have to pick the right books.

Books they’ll enjoy. Books at their reading level. Books that cater to their interests, not yours.

I know that’s hard to do! How many times have I caught myself saying: You’ll LOVE this book, it was my favorite when I was your age! Only to have them gawk at the cover or title, read the summary and say ‘Puulllease, mom’. Ok, so maybe some of Judy Blumes titles aren’t ideal for my two tween boys…

So how does one help a possibly reluctant reader pick a book he or she won’t want to put down? Here are my top tried and tested, sure-fire ways to get your kids reading:

  1. Reading-Rewards.com (Book Recommendations tab) Well, you had to know I’d tell you to check out Reading Rewards, right? But I bet you didn’t know that beyond being a really cool online reading log and earning rewards, there’s a Book Recommendations tab that’s full of great reading suggestions. Here’s what you’ll find:
    • Most Popular Books on Reading Rewards, as logged by our almost 5,000 users. Click through to read member reviews!
    • Books members liked: This tab allows you to make selections by age and gender, and see what members like you have enjoyed. A random selection, but you may find some great […]
By |July 4th, 2011|Book recommendations, Reading Rewards, Reluctant readers|8 Comments
Read More

10 fantastic reading incentives that won’t cost you a penny!

I couldn’t resist, I had to take a look. What sort of incentives have parents and teachers been setting up on Reading Rewards? Kids log reading time, and earn ‘RR’ Miles by doing so (1 for every reading minute logged, up to a maximum of 90/day). Teachers and parents can then add custom rewards to kids’ very own RR Store. Once kids have earned enough RR Miles, they can ‘purchase’ their rewards. Kids love it!

So today, I checked it out. Lo and behold, the RR Store is full of wonderful ideas! What’s more, a lot of the rewards that teachers and parents set up don’t cost a cent. You know the saying ‘The best things in life are free’? Well, in this case, it’s true!

Here is my top 10 list of favorite reading incentives, pulled directly from the RR Store:

  1. Tickle session, 100 RR Miles

    2. For 100 RR Miles (100 reading minutes), this girl can buy a 5 minute tickle session with dad. Cute!

    Now personally, you could never pay me enough to indulge in a tickle session, it is the absolute worst thing you do to me. Seriously, you even come near me with your fingers in ‘tickle’ position, and I will go crazy. Just try it, and see for yourself, if you dare. But hey, this young girl obviously loves it, to each their own!

  2. Snuggle time with mom, 30 RR Miles

    3. In our house, we call them ‘cuddle sessions’. My boys, ages 10 and 12, will actually fight over who gets one. They literally want me IN THEIR BED, stroking their […]

By |May 13th, 2011|Reading Rewards, Reluctant readers, Uncategorized|4 Comments
Read More

Getting boys reading with Pam Allyn

Best Books for Boys: How to Engage Boys in Reading in Ways that Will Change Their Lives by Pam Allyn
176 pages, ISBN: 978-0545204552

When I was asked to review Pam Allyn’s Best Books for Boys – How to Engage Boys in Reading in Ways That Will Change Their Lives, I didn’t hesitate for second. It’s what I’ve been trying to do in my own way, for my 2 boys and for others, so I was definitely looking forward to reading her advice.

While the book is definitely geared towards teachers and would be a fantastic teaching resource, there is lots to take away for parents and anybody else interested in getting boys reading.

The book has 2 distinct parts: the first part provides an introduction and explanation of the READ model which helps set the stage for a reading life, and includes a questions and answer based discussion addressing the challenges some boys face with their reading. The second part provides a fantastic suggested reading list for boys, by reading level and area of interest.

I read the explanation of the READ (Ritual, Environment, Access, Dialogue) Model with great interest. So much of it rang true for me. We all know how important rituals are for our children, and we are reminded again how vital it is to include various reading activities in our daily routines. The section is full of suggestions on we can do this. Beyond the daily rituals of reading, Ms. Allyn goes on to describe the various ways teachers (and parents) can help cultivate a true love for reading by focusing on boys’ reading environments. I am in complete agreement with […]

By |May 4th, 2011|Reluctant readers, Reviews|1 Comment
Read More

Can kids ever read TOO much?

Guest post by Alissa Sklar. Alissa Sklar is the mother of 3 daughters, a freelance writer for Montreal Families Magazine and other publications, and an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.

My three daughters are voracious readers.

Now that might be a strange way to start a blog on a site linked to encouraging reluctant readers, but stick with me here. My older girls, twins in grade 5, are so immersed in their novels (fantasy adventures and historical fiction are their favorites) that they began reading through every recess period at school, neglecting their friends and not getting the opportunity to blow off steam through physical exercise. The school guidance counselor actually took the exceptional step (with my permission) of actually banning their books at recess. The school was essentially, remarkably, telling them they read TOO MUCH! (Well, at least at the wrong times)! Kind of a new take on book banning, I guess, and in this case, the only kind of book banning I’d ever support.

Except for the kind where they read books walking down stairs. Also a very bad idea (but that’s another blog post.)

My point (and I do have one) is this: when news of their unusual restriction got out, I got some calls from concerned parents of their classmates. What I had done to promote this wonderful love of reading? What had I done right? And by extension, what had they done wrong?

The only answer I could come up with wasn’t particularly helpful to them. Truth is, I didn’t think there was anything these parents neglected or forgot to do. What’s more, I’m not convinced I did anything particularly different or special. We all sang […]

By |April 27th, 2011|Reluctant readers|6 Comments
Read More

Limiting screen time – take 2

The system worked. The deal was simple: boys, you want to watch TV, play your video games, borrow my iPhone, fine. But you have to read, too. At *least* an equal amount of time.  That’s how Reading Rewards was born, and it was a very simple system that worked brilliantly.

They wanted to watch TV, so they had to read. We spent time picking and choosing the right books for them. We started ‘family reading time’ in the evening: every night at 8pm, we all got together in the living room to read together. They started reading more, and the more they read, the more they wanted to read. It was self-fulfilling, and I thought: a-ha! I’ve found the magic formula!

But life got busy again, and we ‘relaxed’ our rules. I started consulting work for clients again, while still trying to work on my website. While I carried on with bedtime stories with my youngest, we started leaving the boys to themselves a bit more. It seemed there was always ‘a favorite show’ they just had to watch, and by the time it was finished, they were too tired to read.

A couple of weeks ago, my younger guy got an iPod touch. At around the same time I realized how much he was struggling with Book 4 in the Harry Potter series, which I discussed here. Between the iPod and all their ‘favorite’ shows, I realized they have not finished a book in weeks (except for those that are for school).

How did this happen? Here I am, working so hard on a website designed to get kids reading, and I’ve […]

By |April 14th, 2011|Reluctant readers|6 Comments
Read More

Making reading logs fun!

Many teachers use reading logs in the classroom and as homework assignments to encourage reading and comprehension among their students. But reading logs are often done individually, and cannot easily be shared by fellow students. Kids often complain about them, and they can actually become counter-productive.

Here a few tips on how to make reading logs fun:

  • Use an online reading log program like Reading Rewards. Keep everything centralized, no more lost or forgotten homework!
  • Set daily or weekly reading targets, and reward your students when they reach them. Rewards do not have to be expensive in order to be effective! One male teacher we know of rewarded his students by wearing a dress for a day when his class reached his target! You could also hold a raffle at the end of your reading challenge, and have kids earn a ticket every time they reach their daily reading target. Using the Reading Rewards program, kids earn RR Miles with their reading minutes. Teachers can then set up an ‘RR Store’ for their students, where kids purchase their rewards with their points.  Here are some great examples of rewards teachers have set up:

  • Share your students’ book lists and reviews with the class. Kids enjoy learning about what their classmates are reading, and these can be a great source of book recommendations.
  • Make things a little competitive! Set up a reading race, and see who reaches the finish line first! Have your students ‘advance’ in the race for every 10 minutes of logged reading time. This is a great way to
By |April 6th, 2011|Reluctant readers|0 Comments
Read More