"Mom, I need some good non-school books."
A few years ago I would have never imagined hearing these words coming from my most reluctant reader!
It wasn't necessarily that he was reluctant - he was struggling. Which in turn made him frustrated and feeling stupid and that is what made him a reluctant reader.
My first son read well and read early - so of course I expected the same with the others (don't you just shake your head and giggle at all those newbie experiences!).
At first, I really worried over my non-reading son but then I decided to ease off and give it some time. I took it really slow with him and tried to make any reading experiences pressure free and fun.
It took lots of time!
And even after he started reading more fluently (which, by the way, wasn't until he was about 9) he didn't necessarily WANT to read. That took some figuring out too. His love of reading finally began when we found a genre that really interested him - science fiction. I think the first book he really loved was War of the Worlds. After that it became "Can you find me another book like this one".
Now, he is my most avid reader. He reads and comprehends his literature assignments faster than anyone else in this house and looks forward to finding new books to read for pleasure!
And all it needed was a little time and interest - it sounds so simple now. "sigh"
How wonderful when they finally overcome whatever was holding them back from reading and learn to love it! I'm not quite there with my son, but my daughter is finally getting close. It seems that when we have a "late" reader, most parents want to push them at first so they can be "caught up" with their peers. But experiences like yours remind moms like me that it's OK to slow down, back off, and let them learn when they're ready. Thanks for sharing this!
Karen
Believe it or not, the first "real" book my oldest son read on his own was Junie B. Jones. :) Of course, that was in his own way, in his own time. He HATED having to read aloud, and he hated having to read the "stupid books" that got sent home from school with him. So when we took him out of 1st grade, we quickly decided to give him some time off. We continued to read to him, of course. But after 6 mon. or so of not reading, he picked up the book and THE WORDS STARTED MAKING SENSE! I will never forget the look on his face when he crept down the stars after 9 at night to tell us he had just read his very first book!
Hi,
I just stopped by your blog and enjoyed reading about your family. I have five boys, and my first three learned to read with no problem. My 7 year old is really struggling to learn how to read. He is very intelligent but it just isn't "clicking" for him. I will have hope!!
Our first dd has not picked up on reading as readily as our second dd, who took to it like a duck to water. Patience and practice have been my motto for both. I hope that in time both will enjoy reading and read well.
We are a homeschooling family raising 4 boys in Virginia. This blog is mostly about anything relevant to raising boys or homeschooling in general - but every once in a while I can't help but add some nonsense from our daily life.
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Jennifer Fink 
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Jan. 28, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Karen