Reluctant Readers

Are audio books cheating? Must every book our second-graders read feature Poopy Man and The Toilet King? Are reluctant readers doomed to fall behind their peers? Will Margaret or Amy ever read anything other than their Facebook feeds ever again?

 This episode is full of ideas to get everyone in your family reading– plus books your kids will drop everything to read.

 We love this “book traps” idea from our listener Nicole:

 Find books in the library that seem like they might be irresistible to your child and place them strategically around the house so that your child stumbles upon them and feel like reading them was their own idea.

 What about audiobooks? Is it counterproductive to let kids who struggle with decoding listen to their books instead? Jamie Martin, assistive technology consultant for understood.org, says no: 

Listening to audiobooks isn’t “cheating.” The main purpose of reading is to get information. It doesn’t matter what path that information takes to reach the brain.

Here’s some resources for parents that we recommend in this episode:

Common Sense Media’s lists of books for reluctant readers

Amy Mascott for PBS Parents: What To Do When Your Child Hates Reading

Susan Dominus, NYT, Motherhood Screened Off

Linda Flanagan for KQED: How Audiobooks Can Help Kids Who Struggle With Reading

Mary Ann Scheuer’s Great Kid Books, a blog which recommendis books for kids from 4-14.

Here’s books and authors that Amy recommends in this episode:

the Amulet series (graphic novels for grade-school readers)

anything by Raina Telgemaier (graphic novels with heroines for grade-school readers

You Wouldn’t Want to Be… series (real history with a dose of gross-out humor)

the American Girl collection (the best you’re-growing-up books out there)

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (a perfect coffee table book. Irresistible for all ages)

and a few audiobook series recommended by Amy’s 10-year-old daughter:

A Series of Unfortunate Events

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place

The Mysterious Benedict Society

and of course, Harry Potter, with hundreds of characters all voiced by Jim Dale.

Here’s the books that have gotten our listeners’ kids reading. Thanks for everyone who joined in with ideas on our Facebook page!

Lauren: Pete the Cat, Wayside Stories from Wayside School

Maureen: Mo Willems

Tracy: “Right now (8 years old) we are loving Super Rabbit Boy.”

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