Dear Mom,

Reading to my mind is the most important skill that a child can develop. Reading is a life-long skill and ensures that a student will be a seeker of information.

When children become reluctant readers there are ways to ignite their desire to read. Spend time at the library researching the type of books that the child prefers. It is perfectly fine to do this as long as the choices are not unholy. For example, one of my daughters has dyslexia. She struggles with reading. However she loves to read cookbooks. I suspect that she enjoys the pictures and the descriptions as much as anything else about the books. She will read cookbooks to herself without my asking her to do so. Sustained silent reading is a goal that we want our children to achieve because it is fundamental to self-motivated learning.

Your reading out loud to her is also another way to improve her desire to read to herself. Go to the library and check out the book The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. In this book Mr. Trelease makes a great argument as to the worth of reading aloud to all levels of students. He explains this theory in the first half of the book and in the second half of the book he lists an anthology of books that make great read-alouds. This book has been a major influence upon my teaching and has been a positive force in improving the way I approach the challenge of the reluctant reader.

I like to set a certain time of the day for reading to oneself. We like to take the time right after lunch and spend it reading. I read as well during this time. I think that it helps children understand the enjoyment of reading when they see their parents reading.

Make the time that your daughter reads aloud to you limited. A short amount of time is all that is necessary to ensure that her comprehension and understanding are developing. However when she reads silently, ask questions of the material she has read. Be interested in the information that she is gathering. This will give her more reason to read. By the way, when she does read aloud to you, make certain that you are attentive and interested. Letting a person know that we have enjoyed hearing them read and that their reading aloud has been pleasant helps to encourage and reinforce the joy of reading to one another. I do not think that we ever outgrow our need to hear a story read or an article read to us.

Of course in order to have the time to read there must be a need to read. We will make time for the tasks that we need to do. We do not have television. I think that it interferes with our family's ability to focus upon reading. I am the worst culprit. I know that if we had television I would probably be the one watching all the lovely decorating shows, etc. that are now on.

I admire your wanting to address this issue early on. This is prudent and shows that you understand the importance of reading. It is indeed a sorrow when a person is unable to read effectively. Making the skill of reading a priority is the first step in ensuring that reading will be a life-long joy.

Let us pray together a Hail Mary at this moment and offer up this prayer for all the adults who are struggling with the skill of reading. Let us ask that kind and caring persons come into the lives of these persons and help them learn to read. St. Monica, pray for us. Amen.

Sending out a prayer,
Rita Munn