My Child Is Reluctant to Read! 

Reluctance to read may be due to several different causes. 

Lack of ownership

Tutors should offer their student a structured choice among a limited number of alternatives. Asking "What would you like to read first?" among a set of alternatives might be all that is needed to give the child a sense of ownership and control. Involve the student in the management of the tutoring session. 

Frustration

It may be that the material is too difficult and you need to reassess what you are asking the child to read. If a child is missing more than one word in 10, the book is probably too hard, and easier material is in order. The student may have had some confrontation earlier that they are still processing. A caring adult with a conscious interest may just be the thing to put it at rest. 

Lack of confidence

It may be that you will work with a child that still lacks confidence in his or her own ability. The tutor should create a relationship where the child feels safe and is willing to risk. The tutor can provide more support by reading with the child, reading every other page ("I'll read a page, and then you read a page"), or echo reading ("I'll read this first and then you read it after me"). However, this should be done only as long as it seems absolutely necessary. The point of rereading familiar material is for the child to read independently without support. 

Boredom

The child may get bored with the same old routine, or the same old story. Try varying the order of the lesson plan, and try switching roles. The tutor becomes the "child" and the child becomes the "teacher." The tutor reads slowly asks the child for help, and makes mistakes the child can correct. In this role, tutors can sound out words for the child, who must guess what the word may be. 

My Child Is Not Cooperating! 

Tutors sometimes have difficulty keeping their child's attention. We have found the following techniques to be helpful: 

1. Never ask the child a question for which he or she can say "No!" Rather than saying "Do you want to read now?" say, "We are going to read now. Which book do you want to read first?" Rather than saying "Do you want to write now?" say, "Now we will write. Do you want to use a pencil or a pen?" You must decide what is to be done during the tutoring, but you can give the child choices within each component of the lesson plan. 
   
2. Keep up a brisk pace. A forward momentum helps keep the child be engaged in the lesson. To keep moving along, however, tutors must come to the tutorial prepared. In addition, tutors should avoid getting sidetracked. Interesting but irrelevant conversations should be saved for the end of the tutorial. 
   
3. Keep the tutoring routine the same, so that the child knows what to expect during each tutoring session. Routines provide the structure and security that young children often need. Tutors can prepare their student for what comes next in the lesson by making comments such as, "This will be the last book that we will read, and then we will write." 
   
4. Involve the student in the management of the lesson. Tutors should include the student in clerical tasks such as reciting the spelling of words as they are recorded on the site word cards, etc. Students can help put word cards or books away and take part in other housekeeping details. Provide a simplified lesson plan for the child. You might use an index card with items for the child to check off as he completes the task. This makes the child feel in control of his own learning. 
   
5. Avoid negative feedback. When a child makes a mistake, rather than saying "No," ask questions that lead her to the correct answer (for example, "Let's look at that again," or "What would make sense?" or "What do you see in this picture?"). 
   
6. Avoid criticizing the child. If a child engages in annoying behavior, criticize the action specifically, but do not criticize the child. For example, if the child is whining, the tutor might say, "Don't go whining on me; I don’t like whining!" Specific comments such as this indicate it's the "whining" that is disliked, not the child. 
   
7. Establish and maintain boundaries. Children need to know what is expected (that is, that they will be following the lesson plan and what constitutes acceptable behavior). Children need to know who is in charge.