Guest Post: Six Ways to Get Your 6th Grader Reading

Guest Post by Zakkiya Anderson of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia. You can reach Zakkiya regarding Boys & Girls Club programming at zanderson@bgcseva.org.

If you haven’t heard yet, there’s a literacy problem in our community. There are schools right here in Hampton Roads who are unaccredited due to issues with passing the SOL testing. This is a community issue. So how do we make sure our kids are enjoying reading? Here are 6 ways to make reading and reading comprehension fun!

1. Play wordy board games:

Games like Taboo and Scattegories are games that require your kids to do important things like word association and teaches them new words that they may not be introduced to on a daily basis. Can’t afford the actual games? Not a problem, create your own versions with sticky notes or index cards! Remember, you can play with or without the timers depending upon what level of intensity you want to have.

5. Read with them/to them:

Storytime shouldn’t be a thing of the past. Sometimes, kids really just want to be read to. Spend at least an hour a week reading with your child. Find books that interest them that may be a little beyond their reading level. That’s where you come in! Go back and forth reading to each other, and if they struggle a bit, encourage them and remind them that this is a process.

6. Talk to your kids’ teachers, mentors, or other important adult figures in their life:

This one isn’t so much fun as it is strategy. Work with the other adults in your child’s life who might see them even more than you do. Talk to them and see where your child is struggling, or where they are excelling. Let them tell you what your child has an interest in, and you can tell them what is working for you at home. Good luck!