How to Get the Most Out of Reading Time
By Bridget Haggerty
Hi everyone! Today I want to talk with you about reading stamina. So buckle in it’s going to be a wild ride! Ha ha just kidding. Okay, all joking aside, for now…
What is Reading Stamina?
Reading stamina is how long your child or student can read or listen to someone read without losing interest or throwing in the towel as they say. This skill is fundamental for their entire school career beginning from reading time in preschool all the way to college when their stamina is really put to the test and they are assigned a list of heavy duty reading by their professor.
Take it from me, I’m currently a junior in college and I love reading but even I get overwhelmed sometimes when my professor gives me one week to read an entire book and write a thesis driven paper on it! So building your child’s endurance is vital to making their school career as easy and painless as possible.
Tips For Improving Your Child’s Reading Stamina!
Below are some tips that I have seen work for many kids.
- First things first, read to your child everyday. Make a habit of it. Set aside time everyday that you dedicate to reading to your child.
- Pick fun and exciting books that will keep your child engaged. You should also let your child pick the book and if they pick the same book every time that’s fine!
- Repetition builds a child’s vocabulary and enhances their comprehension. Once your child starts reading let them read to you everyday.
- You can also create a special place in your classroom or house just for reading that’s comfortable and all the books are easily accessible to them.
Reading Time Struggles and Tips to Solve Them!
Some children have a difficult time sitting still and listening or reading out loud to someone especially in the beginning. This is completely normal and I have found some tricks that have worked for me in the past. One thing that helps is creating a reading time chart. You can set time limits and goals for you and your child. Every Child is a Super Reader has a great template you can use. This also helps to make a game out of it by seeing how long you can go for and if you can beat your last time. However, you shouldn’t over run it to the point where they’re not enjoying it anymore. It’s better to quit while you’re ahead to keep reading time a positive experience.
Another trick I have seen used the children especially the younger ones is having a “reading buddy”. This is a stuffed that the child and hold and hug while they listen to you read. Another tip for those children that need to do something with their hands while they listen to stories is coloring. There is an adorable alphabet book called Artsy Ant that has a story for each letter of the alphabet. This book allows you to read a story to your child on the left page while they color on the page on the right.
Talk to Your Kid While Reading!
When it comes to these methods I do recommend you stop every so often and talk to your child about the story so you know that they understand what is happening. And of course, if you find that they are not tracking with the story, get them back on track!
Happy reading everyone!
