​Using Nature Books for Reluctant Readers

If you are like most parents, you already know how important reading is to your child’s success in both school and in life. What you may not know is how to engage your reluctant reader. The trick to this challenging task is to find a topic your child is interested in.

For many young children, nature books provide a vehicle for engaging them in reading.  That’s why I have started a series of nature books designed to appeal to young readers. The In My Backyard series focuses on common flora and fauna found in the typical American backyard.

How Do You Use Nature Books to Promote Reading?
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• Begin by reading quality nature books about topics your child can experience in his location to your child at a young age. Books in the In My Backyard Series are a great starting point, but there many other quality books to choose from. Just because your child cannot read yet is no excuse to deprive him of quality books.
• Discuss the book and encourage your child to ask questions. If your youngster is too young to read or respond to open-ended questions, challenge her to point to objects in the images or use your words to describe what she sees.
• Explore your backyard or neighborhood for insects or plants shown in the book. This encourages young readers to make text-to-life connections when they read.
• Read books about zoo animals before visiting the zoo or bird or butterfly books before visiting an aviary or butterfly house. Reread the books after you return and compare what you learned from the book to what you experienced.