When Owen started second grade 20 words under the reading benchmark, my husband and I knew it was time to do something. But how could we motivate a boy who found reading frustrating and insurmountable?
Owen loved football, so we used trading cards as a reading reward — one card for every 10 minutes he read to us. Two keys helped this method work: The rewards were easily achievable, and we constantly replenished his supply of interesting reading material.
By the end of second grade, Owen’s reading level was 15 words above the benchmark, and we felt like we had scored a touchdown.
This article appeared in the December 2011 issue of Thriving Family magazine and was titled "Helping Your Reluctant Reader." Copyright © 2011 by Kim Harms. Used by permission. ThrivingFamily.com.