A Possible Last Resort in Winning Over the Most Reluctant of Readers

This is not so much a winning strategy as a last resort. One I come to reluctantly so long as once this little piece of advice is mastered, you can find another way of moving on. (My previous articles may help here).

This is for those children who are refusing to read, refusing to sound a single word, or are throwing a tantrum at the very thought and this behaviour is impacting their learning.

Search and Find books are a great way of getting a child, who is yet unable to read for themselves, to spend ten minutes at bedtime ‘reading’ a book themselves.

The worry of deciphering letters and sounds is null while the enjoyment and challenge can keep a child entertained while they search for specific characters or vehicles, animals, monsters, there’s plenty choice. There may still be a need for a grown up to discuss with the child first what they are searching for if the imagery isn’t making it obvious. But as children’s eyes scour the page after page of colourful illustrations they are thinking, their imaginations are working, and they are strategising.

In effect, Search and Find books are a way of letting children know that books can be fun. From here I would recommend reading my article titled, Choosing A Picture Book for Reluctant Readers.

Call to Action

This week, introduce your reluctant readers to a Search and Find book. You can borrow them from libraries as well as purchasing them online and through book shops.

But as you progress through the week, it will be interesting to see if your little one is more interactive with their newly discovered Search and Find book than they were with a story book. Our overall mission is to get reluctant readers used to ‘a’ book, and this may well be the start your little one needs. Discuss the illustrations, make up your own stories from the illustrations. Let them see the fantastic worlds story books could be transporting them to!

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