I need advice on how to get my 6 year old to read?

Question

My six year old was suppose to know his sight words before he ended his kindergarden year. He still does not know his words and I can not get him to even study them or look at them. what should i do to get him to want to learn to read? please help me!

Answer 1

I absolutely agree with the question to you regarding whether your child see you read and do you show a positive attitude toward it and do you read with your children routinely.  Consider that.

I've had great success with Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Sigmund Engelmann.  Under $20 at Amazon.com and it was in stock at Barnes and Noble.  Great reviews.  Don't just take my word for it.  It can be considered "dry" but I just added some "extras" to it to make it a little more interesting.  But the point is that it's perfect for a parent who really doesn't know how to "teach" reading.  It covers everthing.  If you are consistent about using it ...you will have success!

The We Both Read series of Shared Reading books are AWESOME.  At this age children still want to be read to.  So this is a great way to be read to but practice their reading as well.  www.webothread.com I believe the website is.  Again, amazon.com has the books.  3.99/book...free shipping over $25 and they have a 4 for 3 deal going on with these books.  They start at the Kinderarten level... K, K-1, 1, 1-2.  Some nonfiction is included there.  My 5 year old son LOVES these books.  Our local library carried a few of them so you can check at yours to see if it is a "fit" for you and your son.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Trying to get a six year old to study is probably not the best idea. Try reading to him. Find exciting books that you know he'll enjoy, and read to him at night. The rest will take care of itself.

Answer 3

have you tried the leap frog games and shows there are pop up books, computer games that help kids study.

Answer 4

I know the schools push academics at an early age these days, but forcing a young child to study won't encourage a love or reading.  You can do a few things though:

Let him see you reading, so he knows it's an enjoyable activity.

Read to him and with him.  When he's ready, take turns reading--you read maybe 10 pages of a book, then let him read a page.  When you finish the book, he'll feel like he read the whole thing himself.  Alternate very simple easy readers with more meaty chapter books.

Surround him with words--make little labels on all the furniture, household items, etc.

Jan Brett's website has very pretty Dolch sight word charts you can print for free and hang around for familiarity.

http://janbrett.com/games/jan_brett_dolc...

I wouldn't force him to do drills or studying though; just let reading surround his life and become part of it.  Many children really aren't ready to read until they are 7, 8, or 9, even though they are quite smart and go on to be perfectly intellectual and scholarly.

Answer 5

Does your six year old see you reading?  Do you comment on it--look at this interesting fact I just read?  That will help him see the value of reading.

Read some little picture books with him--like, every night at a particular time.  After you've done this a couple of weeks, begin to point out, "that's one of your words, isn't it?"   Maybe you could even write (or better yet, have him dictate) a paragraph with his sight words, and have him read it, both to you and to impressible others.

Answer 6

Do NOT make this a chore for your six year old.  Putting pressure on your son to master the sight words will not make the task any easier and will turn learning into a negative experience that will stay with him throughout his school years.  Read, read, and read some more with him.  Reading is not only at bedtime but anytime when the two of you can sit down and enjoy a book.  Take a trip to the library and have him pick out a few books to read together.  Before you know it he will be reading a word here and there, a sentence, a page.  The sight words are mastered without a big fuss.

Answer 7

Have fun with him on the computer and play educational board games.  Read street signs, cereal boxes, menus, anything in his environment that he is used to.  You'll be surprised what he can pick up on.  Have him pick out some fun magazines that interest him.  Just exposing him to lots of print with help with his interest.  Then every once in a while pull out those sight words.  You do need to work with him...especially with first grade right around the corner!  

Try these websites:

starfall.com

readinga-z.com

funbrain.com

My first graders love these sites!