Here we are, 4 months after my first post about motivating my kids to read. You can probably guess where we’re at; maybe your situation is similar. (see ‘The Power of NO’ with a FREE printable Reading Reward Chart!)
I have one girl who is so excited about school and motivated to read. Their school does a great job by holding reading contests in the library and rewards in the classroom. My daughter thrives in this environment. She loves the rules and loves the challenge.
My boy… is a whole other child. And I can’t figure it out because they are twins and came from the same womb and have been raised the exact same way. My boy is NOT motivated by school programs, rewards in class and certainly not by my nagging (or gentle angelic encouragement, as I like to call it).
So I’m on a mission to find a way to motivate him. He already gets to pick his own books, find subjects he’s interested in, and both his dad and I will read with him, to him, out loud, here or there… in the car, in a box, with a fox… anywhere (you get the idea)! Every week he is required to read two AR books and take the tests. And every week… the struggle is REAL!!
I have put together what I think are new creative ways to REALLY make reading FUN (especially for the unmotivated child).
- Art Station – Create a small table or corner with some craft supplies. Encourage your kids to make or draw something while you read to them. I would love, love, LOVE to see any art projects your kids come up with!
- Hide and Seek – Hide 3 books they can choose from and tell the kids to go hunting for hidden books. (HINT: they are not in the bookshelves… lol)
- Scavenger Hunt – Hide clues around the house that lead them to the next clue. Then the last clue leads them to the book you want them to read… my husband says to throw a dollar in the book too!
- Answer Riddles – think of some emojis that describe the book you want them to read (or famous books or movies just for fun). Print out the emojis, cut them up and put in an envelope. They get to open the envelope and try to figure out what the book is. This will get them excited to read what it is about. (Download FREE printable below).
I just learned how to add emojis on a computer to type in MS Word or PowerPoint: Hold down windows logo key and the period key, it pops up. (Sorry Mac users, you’re on your own, but I’m sure you could google it!)
I started an Emoji BOOKS Cheat Sheet. Download the PowerPoint version (editable) or PDF (printable) version below.
Another quick and easy way to printout some emojis…. text the emojis to yourself, take a screenshot, edit the photo to crop and make it bigger, then print from your phone. Sometimes we need a quick and MOBILE option for parents constantly on the go.
There you have it! 4 quick and easy ways to REALLY make reading FUN… especially for the unmotivated child. I’d love to hear from you and how you motivate your unmotivated child. Tell me all about it in the comments below.