How Do I Get My 5 Year Old Son Interested in Reading?

S.,

Read out loud to him. Get him interested in the stories and ideas. And, take him to the public library every week and let him pick out his own. It won't take long.

Linda

I totally agree with many of the moms who have already responded. Just read to him every day and continue to talk about it. What you don't want to do is push too hard or make it a power struggle or unpleasant experience. He'll show interest soon enough & it will happen more easily on his time frame. Good luck!

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Happy Reading!
P.

Make it fun! That's the best advice I can give you (as a former elementary teacher and assistant principal). Many kids don't want to do things that may be difficult for them - they want it to be easy and receive immediate praise (don't we all?)! Kids like to be good at things, and when they're not immediately successful at something, often they don't want to do it. Anyway, there are some very cheap things you can do with him to get things started.

Get some index cards and write some words (nouns are the first, then go into actions, etc.) Sight words are also wonderful. Write the word, "dog" and then on the other side of the card draw a dog. Even better would be if you wrote some words on one side of a card, and then had him find the picture of that word in magazines and then glue the picture on the other side of the card. That way he's involved in the project. You can then have him read the words and he can see the picture to know if he's right. You can have him sort the cards into categories (animals, places, foods, etc.) as another game - even though he doesn't have to "read" them to you like flashcards, he has to look at them (even if he just looks at the pictures) and he'll think the cards are more fun.

One part of reading that is important is to teach kids strategies. Looking at the pictures in the book on each page is a HUGE strategy. When you give him a book, have him "tell" you the story just by looking at the pictures (not the words as the focus). Then read it to him. Then, as you re-read him the book, as you read, pause on words you'd like for him to read to you. That way, you're doing a lot of the reading, but he has to gradually get more involved and before you know it, he will be able to tell you more and more words on the page.

You can also make other games to make it fun too. Create a bingo game, and write the word in the squares on the bingo card. Take out those trusty index cards that you use and just show him the picture, not the word side. Then he has to find the word on his card that matches the picture you're showing him. You can even use M&M's as the markers for the bingo card. When he gets a BINGO, he gets to eat the M&M's! Fun and yummy! Plus, a BINGO is usually only five squares in a row, so he's not eating a ton of candy either.

You can pick up magnetic letters anywhere for pretty cheap. You can use a cookie sheet and he can have it on his lap or leaned up on the couch or wherever - the floor in front of the refrigerator isn't always so comfortable. You can spell out a word and he has to find the index card with that same word on it. He's matching letters in words, but again, he's looking at the word and processing it, so he's practicing anyway. Magnetic letters are a great tool - teachers use them all the time! You can even put out letters and have him tell you what sound they make. Combine some too, like "ch" or "th" as he gets stronger. Spell a word and then leave a space with a missing letter, and he has to figure out what the letter is that goes there. Possibilities are endless!

You can also use a cookie sheet and pour sugar to cover the inside of the cookie sheet (pretty well covered). Then show him the picture of a word and he can write the word on the cookie sheet using his finger in the sugar. He can also look at the written word on the card and then write the word (copy from the card), then you two can figure out what the word is. Smooth out the sugar, and do another word. Shaving cream (not the gel kind) on the table top works great too.

There are SO many things you can do without having to buy a lot of things or get him into a program. Just get started with a few things - not too many all at once. If he gets tired or really frustrated, just say you'll try again later. It's like potty training... you don't want it to become a battle. Try every day - maybe even twice a day if he's loving it. I'd love to hear how things are going, and when you need more ideas, post again! I check this site all the time!

With a sibling and a baby on the way, tell him how exciting it would be for him to read to his sibling or read to the baby. What a great big brother thing to do.

Happy reading! :)

A little about me. I'm a retired school teacher with a speciality in reading instruction K-12. Also, a father of 7 of my own.
Don't push it. As long as your children love hearing you read to them, don't push it. Interact. Leave a word out, pause, and let your son fill in the word. Note the errors-if his guesses are conceptually or gramatically correct, just not the author's word, your child's internal sense of language is doing well. Ask your child what things and actions he identifies in the illustrations. Ask him to predict what might happen based on a review of pictures, then check himself to see how well he predicted. All reasonable predictions are OK. Right now the important thing is lots of read-aloud and conversational interaction. This develops the child's intrinsic sense of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary that will be the bedrock of his reading skills when he is cognitively ready. In cognitive ability, boys lag behind girls typically as much as a year and a half by the time they start kindergarten. Not to worry on that score. Reading requires hemispheric integration in the brain, at which girls have a physiological advantage in brain structure. Three of my girls were reading books on their own before they started kindergarten. They just picked it up from reading with their mom, who knew a little about how to check cognitive readiness by simple "games" during reading. You could visit with a primary grade reading specialist in your local school district about simple things you can do to check cognitive readiness for sound-symbol association. My 3 boys and one daughter learned to read at school. Two of the boys struggled with it. Both were extremely far sighted, so normal book-holding distance was too close for focus. One of these boys in now in law school, so I guess he can read pretty well. He made it through year 1. The other is an electrician and still prefers a diagram, but reads well enough. A couple of cautions: Don't be alarmed or overzealous about spelling as they get older. Also, reading is pretty complex. My third son had a whole different mental set about it. With a "holistic" rather than "analytical" learning style in which "decoding" words interfered with his sense grammar and syntax, having him stop to decode an unknown word just took all the fun out of reading and wore him out. I trained him to say "beep" in the sentence if he didn't know a word after a couple of seconds. He was thus able to maintain a pace that kept his sense of grammar and syntax in play for the sentence. Whenever he said "beep" he would note the beginning consonant structure of the word, reread the sentence, and usually figure it out. He remembered words this way and analyzed their spelling as he got older so that he could actually read the words without his internal grammar. He is a bright kid, just has a bit different way of learning. In schools, direct instruction rules. If your son has difficulty this way, insist on a different approach to reading instruction, not just more direct instruction louder and slower. Also, since boys have about six times the rate of reading disability as girls, you will want to make good friends with your reading specialist at your local school district. That person can help you distinguish between disability and other issues if you need to. Don't forget to have your child's vision checked if you suspect problems. Probably your son won't, but vision check is the first stop. You may contact me for specific questions. ____@____.com Good luck Mom. Get dad in on this too, if willing.

I started my three year old with the letter factory and word factory dvds by leap frog. He has always hated books, but now he will say individual letter sounds and loves to find them everywhere. Keep encouraging him, but don't force it. Otherwise he will hate reading. My 3 year old likes to mimic me too, so if I pick up a book , he is likely to do it also.

Get him books with cool pictures too, like the Bob the Builder books or My First Things That Go board book. Even recognizing pictures in a book is a pre- reading skill.

Good luck!

The LeapFrog DVDs have been soooo wonderful for my daughter. We have a series of 3 for reading (Letter Factory, Word Factory, and Code Word Caper) and one for math (Math Circus). I was really surprised at how much she retained after watching them, and now she is always trying to sound out words she sees, from stop signs to cereal boxes. She will be four next month. Also, let him read whatever he wants. It doesn't matter so much what he is reading, just that he is. So, if he wants to read the Sunday comics instead of the beginning reader you got from the library, go for it!

Get him good picture books - lift the flaps are always fun. I always read and re-read and re-read to my daughter. Then I read half the sentence and let my daughter finish it off for me. She has a lot of fun. Check out Usborne Books too (www.ubah.com/d2180) my kids LOVE these books. Their favorite is the Apple Tree Farm series. THey range from birth through young adult and even have some parenting books.

Good Luck :-)

T.

S.,

As others have said, reading is more than just sounding out the letters. The best advice I can give you is to read to him and make it fun. There is all too much pressure on kids today to be ahead of everyone else. He will learn to read in school, when he is developmentally ready. There is really no need to get him reading before that. Right now is the time to lay the foundation (showing him that pictures are also a part of reading, that the book is held so the pictures and words/letters are not upside down, all books have a title and author, etc.) This can all be done by just reading to him. He will learn to love reading if it is enjoyable and not stressful.

Leap Frog products are pretty good for all that. We have a Leap Pad, and my daughter likes it. I know there are a lot of other similar products out there, and most aren't terribly expensive. Our Leap Pad was about $30.

Interactive reading to him is very important as others have stated (asking some questions, relating what you read to his experiences). Two other suggestions: Leapfrog "Letter Factory" video--my daughter LOVES it and has learned the sounds of the letters through it. And Learning Experience Activities (I've learned about this through a course I'm taking to get my masters in Reading Education)--to do this, you do something special with him, like going to the zoo. Then when you get home or maybe the next day, you say, "Let's write a story about our trip to the zoo." Have him give you a title, and you write it for him, then ask him what he'd like to say in this story and write it for him using his words. Don't correct his story, but if he says, for example, "goed," you can repeat the sentence using "went" and then write this. Read the story to him when you are done, re-read it through the week, and make a big fuss over it. Post it on the fridge. Good to do once a week. He can illustrate it, and "read" it to you or other people (of course he won't be reading it, he'll be making it up as he goes, and that's fine). Good luck!! And don't force the issue, he'll be fine.

I don't homeschool, but I do know that alot of the beginning reading is done off of memerization of "site" words, words that are simple but don't sound like they are spelled. Those little books that you see that have the same few words over and over again are how you start, and the you can start to work on sounding the words out.

I found this on the interweb

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/printable_booklets.html
It has printable booklets, with site words.
and
http://www.englishraven.com/ttools_dolch.html

There is another site it's
www.starfall.com
It's an interactive, site for kids, my 4 year old loves it and has helped her read and it's advanced enough for my 7 year old who does somewhat struggle.

I would put the site word on cards so that you are only focusing on word at a time.

Good Luck!

Hopefully you already do this....read to him, daily. We love to read chapter books (The Magic TreeHouse and now there is a new series called Dinosaur Cove). That is definitely the first step, just the love of reading stories and reading together. Make sure he sees you reading. Get bathtub letters and make fun games.

I have gotten lots of good inspiration from "The Read-Aloud Handbook" by Jim Trelease. It's in paperback, and also several editions, each updated, so I'm sure you could find it at your library or for cheap online. It's not so much of a "teach your kid to read" program as it is a collection of interesting research and anecdotes about building enthusiasm for reading at all ages and levels. My mom's best friend, who is a high school English teacher, gave it to me as a baby gift along with some board books--it was a clever and thoughtful gift!
At age five, I suspect it's more important to build and maintain interest and enthusiasm more than grinding in phonics and high-frequency words. You could incorporate basic print awareness into your daily routine, such as reading stop signs, recipes,and produce label at the grocery store, just so he gets the idea that reading gives us practical information.
My child (now age 6) has enjoyed the Bob books for learning to read simple, phoenetic stories. He is pleased he can read them to his little brother. They are short and simple and only about $16 for a set of 10 little books that have simple, fun illustrations. I don't think you'd need the entire set of several boxes of little books unless you were seriously homeschooling or doing remedial work--the first set is plenty for basic reading lessons. You can look at the books at amazon.com.
I know Montessori philosophy focuses more on the sounds of each letter than the name of each character, which can help kids learn to sound out phoenetic words eventually. You might like some of the resources and matching/learning games available at www.montessoriservices.com and www.forsmallhands.com. They have cards that have, for example, a picture of a cup on one side and the word "cup" on the other, so you can learn to match the picture and sound out a simple word.
But really, lots of reading of very fun books sounds like a more sure way to build enthusiasm for learning to read. Consult the Trelease book and your favorite children's librarian for help choosing. . . .
Enjoy!

S.,
Do you have books in your home that are colorful and have exciting pictures? Is there a time in his daily schedule that the TV is off and it is quiet? Do you snuggle up with him and read together? Do you talk about the labels and item (counting them for instance) at the grocery store? Are there Magnetic letters at eye level on your refridgerater? Does Daddy read him a bedtime story ever night? Do you have a weekly date to go to the public library that ends with an ice cream cone?
If you do these things, and he doesn't have a learning disablity, he will figure it out.

Let me just reiterate what several other moms have said. How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, is the most incredible reading program I have ever seen. It takes about 15-20 minutes a day and at the end of the 100 lessons they can read at at least a 2nd grade level but more importantly they can sound out words and increase their reading skills by just continuing to read. Good luck.

I may be in the minority, but my boys didn't respond at all to "Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons"

What they did respond to was www.starfall.com, the Leap Frog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Set and reading/phonics workbooks from the Dollar Store. Adding a physical/interactive dimension to the task seemed to really help things click.

My 5 year old is reading Level 1 and Level 2 reading books now, and my 4 year old is able to read all of the 3 letter, short vowel words.

Good luck to you!

I started my daughter out on small sight words like; the, and, but. then I introduced a few words a week. Its not a bad idea to let them memorize what a word looks like at this point. You are doing an amazing job reading to him each night. Way to go! By the way, my daughter was really advanced. She was reading college level books in the 8th grade.

i was feeling a bit like a failure because i was having a hard time teaching my son to read. so i put him in a preschool. his teacher said it's not at all unusual for kids to ignore instruction from their moms which they will readily learn from someone else. her own children refused to learn piano from her, but were willing to learn from a teacher she paid. so maybe a family member or friend of yours is willing to teach him? there are a lot of books at the library to help you teach your kids, both with phonics and other methods. once my son could recognize letters and many of their sounds, tv shows like Word World became more interesting to him and helpful. now he can do the Word World game on www.pbskids.org.

Phonemic awareness is a BIG part of being able to sound out words for reading and writing. This is the awareness that words are made out of sounds. For example the sound at the beginning of 'cat' is /c/. If he says 'meow' is the sound he hears first in cat, he probaly has little concept yet.
To increase phonemic awareness, do a lot of sound games. Rhyming books and rhyming games, what's the first sound/last sound games, 'say it fast' (tell him the sounds and have him figure out the word) are good starts. You will have to give him a lot of support at first. And it is all about the sounds, not the letters we use to represent the sounds, so leave letters out of it entirely.
Also, Sesame Street and Between the Lions are good kids shows that often will have segments to help support phonemic awareness.

Every kid has their own timeline for reading. If your son isn't interested in sounding out words, don't force the issue and make it an unpleasant experience. One of the best things to do at this stage is to let him pick out books he's interested in at the Library, and then read to him while following along the words you're saying with your finger. Make it fun and without a lot of stress. Reading and potty training are similar, in that the more pressure you put on kids to do it, the less they want to. :)

HTH,

T.

Since you are online doing email I assume you have access to the internet. Go to online kid-friendly sites such as noggin and pbskids and look for games. You've got to make it fun. If you can splurge a little --- look into Leapfrog products. It's a phonics learning system. My son likes the word factory DVDs and the Leapster. The best thing to do is read, read, read to him. I wouldn't push the reading until he shows interest --- otherwise, he'll go in the opposite direction. Also, model for him. Read for your own pleasure. I'm a teacher and a mother of 2 boys --- ages 1 and 5.

read for fun with him and with him and the rest of your family.

Don't force it. At 5, I was just learning the alphabet - forget phonics! :P

Actually, here's a great toy for phonics: http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Learning-Friends-Phonics-V...

Other than that....
leave books in baskets in the main rooms of the house...stuff on his reading level..or that he likes to hear. Then spend some time reading on the couch - adult books that you read to yourself. Have your husband do it too....

soon your boy will want to copy you...and the books are there for him when he wants to do it. Don't worry if the book is upside down...or he turns the pages wrong...or tells what he remembers instead of what's on the page...it comes in steps.

don't make him sound out words - pressure can make a life-long disability when it comes to reading.

I really like the book "teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons". That is how I taught my younger children. You should be able to get it from amazon.com

I have one suggestion which doesn't help you immediately, but will be a huge help towards turning him into a "reader". Whenever my daughters get into the car, they bring books, magazines or workbooks. We started with board books when they were tiny, and they just naturally think of the car as a place to read. When we go on vacation, we get 50 books from the library, and that's how they mostly keep themselves occupied during car rides.

Teaching them to read was relatively easy, starting with alphabet cards, each had one letter and a few pictures on them, always pronouncing the sound, not pronouncing the name of the letter.

Two of them wanted to wait between learning all their sounds and then learning to read, so I let them wait, and then it happened naturally during their kindergarten year.

I have definitely known boys who took a little longer to develop that interest, but then it usually came quickly.

S.,

Your son may not be ready to read. He is still young and literacy development varies between children. Continue reading to him daily to facilitate a love of books. Let him look at all parts of the book. Reading isn't just focusing on the letters. It is meaning-based, connected to the pictures, and much more than just the sounds. If, when in 1st grade, his teacher has concerns, s/he should be able to guide you. While there is a current push to get children reading in kindergarten, it isn't necessarily what's best for them. I have taught preschool- gr. 3 for 14 years and currently teach in BVSD. I hope you find this helpful. -S.

Your doing what your supposed to do, which is to read to him. It doesn't happen in a day, it happens over time. Has he started Kindergarten yet? If not, sounds like he'll be starting this fall, he will learn very quickly, I don't know how they do it, but they do. Most of reading comes from memory anyway. Just be patient and as he starts school, read to him everynight, you'll be amazed how quickly he'll begin to pick it up.

S.,

I would try "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". I used this with my son when he was 5, he's 10 now, and is a very strong reader. He reads at a 10th grade level now. It is very easy to use, and there are printable worksheets on the internet that go along with the lessons, that teach the writing of each letter. It teaches kids to sound out the words phonetically. Give it a shot. You can buy it online or at some home school stores. It retails for around $20, and the worksheets are free if you have a computer and printer at home.

Good luck,
M. in Denver

Those Leapfrog videos Sunny M mentioned are awesome. Not to promote too much TV use, but use that 1 hr/day wisely -- Your son will have his letter sounds memorized after 5 viewings of "Letter Factory." "Word Factory" puts together simple three letter words, and "Code Word Caper" will give even you, the mom, some simple rules (set to music) to help him sound out vowel and consonant combinations. With that common base, it makes it easier for you to help him sound out words. If you're willing to buy VHS vs. DVD, you can probably find them each for less than $5, or watch for sales at ToysRUs. I've seen them at Costco too, and buy them for anyone turning 4. A great series, and no, I'm not affiliated. I also yesterday read the reviews of a book called "The Read Aloud Handbook" on Amazon.com. While I haven't yet checked the library for it, several parent reviewers highly endorsed it as a way to develop passionate readers. I hope you can get lots of reading/snuggle time as you welcome your new baby.

You didn't mention it, but are you homeschooling him? If not the school system will interest him in words. Sounding out words at his age, is expecting a lot. Most kids learn by memorization. Let him go at his own pace. He'll be ready for school in the fall, no matter what. If not, then let him stay at home for one more year. Of course, that depends on your son's birthday.

AS long as you are reading to him on a daily basis, with your finger on whatever word you are on so that he can follow along- don't worry. I have 2 boys- one who is above his peers in reading and one I have to fight with most of the time to get him to read. The day will come when you catch him with the flashlight under the covers reading. Take him to the libray for reading time and get him his own card- that way he feels in control and can pick out books he likes. At 5 my oldest was just starting to make out sounds and it really picked up about the beginning of 2nd grade. He was reading in 1st but this year (3rd) he started reading Harry Potter and I love it when I cannot get his attention becuse of it! Just continue to read to him every day and it will come.

Knowing the sounds the letters make is the first step. Before my daughter started kindergarten, I wrote words on a chalk board (we made one with chalkboard paint). I started out with really small simple words like cat, dog, car etc..
I would point to each letter and have her tell me the sound it makes. Then once she said all the sounds of the letters, I went back to the beginning and worked with her putting the words together. She caught on pretty quick and then once she got into kindergarten, she was bringing home what they call "baggie books". At her school, they have two or three reading volunteers that work with the kids to help them practice their reading. She is now going into the 2nd grade this year and she loves reading. There are times that she does come across a word that she "sounds out" but doesn't sound right when she says it because of silent letters etc. but your son will definately get the hang of it. Like another mom said, it doesn't happen over night but by you reading to him like you are, he will start picking up on the words. Asfor him not focusing on the word you want, what they did in first grade was to have the kids, put their finger under the word that they were reading and then move it to the next word and so on. Your son may not quite be ready for that but what you can do it you move your finger from word to word and have him follow your finger.

Good luck and don't worry. He'll be reading before you know it and as you are driving down the road, he'll be reading signs along the way.

K.

If he's not interested, he's not ready. You can incorporate basic verbal skills into any play that he *is* interested in. Sound out letters, spell out the words, talk about the things he is playing with. Meanwhile, keep reading to him. The number #1 thing you can do to help him learn to read is to read to him and let him see you reading.

First off you must know I am NOT into gimmicks and never buy self help books or the like....
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 easy Lessons is the best purchas I have made in about 10 years!!!
I have 5 boys and it is a GODSEND!!!!
good luck.

Although I can admire your desire to help your son learn to read, I don't think you need to worry about it so much. He is only 5 years old. I think you are doing your part by reading to him. I don't think extra programs are necessary at this point. My son learned to read in kindergarten and now he loves to read and is in the top reading groups at school. Keep reading to him and making books available. Help him get a good start in seeing that reading can be fun.

You need to make it fun!
Hooked on Phonics has a great reading program for beginners and through out. This is what I used for my son and he was reading in days. Was so neat.
I just recently saw it at Costo too. You might want to check at the library too- they might have it..

Hope that helps!
C.
www.AHomeCareer.com

My advice is to just keep reading to him every day. As long as he likes that, that's all you really need to worry about right now. Studies show that kids who read early don't really show any advantage over their classmates. So don't push him or you might turn him off of reading all together. He'll learn how in school. Just enjoy those snuggly moments of reading books together, and he'll eventually get it. You can still point out words and show him how to sound things out if you like, still make it a learning experience, but he is learning just as you read. He'll get there. :)

The one thing I would really say is not to push. You don't want to turn him off to reading at the very beginning. I would read to him a lot and every so often as you read help him make connections with how the letter sounds together actually make words. Also, start very small and basic. It is helpful to have a beginning reader with phonetically correct words so he doesn't have to deal with all of the exceptions of the English language at first. Have him write his own words as well, (letters to grandparents, thank you notes for gifts, notes to dad, etc.) and allow him to use his best guess as to how a word should be spelled. He will spell things wrong, but that is okay...these are some of the most precious things you'll ever see and they allow him to experiment with how letter sounds work together to form words. From what I've seen with my kids, once they get this concept their reading ability really takes off, but it sometimes takes a while before it really clicks. It is helpful if they have things they really want to read - something in which they are really interested. Good luck.

Not that I like my kid watching lots of TV but PBS runs a great show called Supper Why that helps kids understand how letters work together. Our programming is on in the mornings. There are five characters that handle the letters, sounds of leters, what htey sounds liek together and sentence structure. Watch with hima nd participate - it really helped my 5 yrold get excited about reading. The PBS website also has great games that encourage reading my daughter will spend hours playing if I let her.

About me: Mother of great 5 yrold daughter, who works from home and partially home schools.