Challenging Readers

Sometimes children get bored with reading. We do not understand what is happening. They like to read. They enjoy it, yet they push aside their books in disinterest. You might have an issue of an under-challenged reader.

When a child like to read, but is not interested in reading, they might be bored with the material they are handed. Too often, we look at third grade reading lists and think that our children should only be reading those books. The ones who are struggling with reading might need to look to a lower list. The ones who are bored might need to look at other grades. They need to be challenged.

A typical third grade book is The Courage of Sarah Noble. Your child might find this too easy of a read. Though they like the story, they crave something more. Their mind wants to be stretched. Give them The Wizard of Oz, Charlotte's Web, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Little House On The Prairie. Move up a notch every time they get bored. Do not let the chance to challenge them go to waste.

What if the next level book you choose is too high? Choose another one. Have fun exploring books. If the book is too far advanced, make it a book you read aloud. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer might be too much for an advanced third grader, but a fifth grader might just gobble it up. Experiment. Check out the different book lists that are available.

Remember that a few hundred years ago, it was not uncommon for children to know two or three languages and be reading the works of Plato and Aristotle by the age of twelve. They were challenged and pushed to go a little further. Just because society says that your eight year old is in third grade does not mean their minds should be locked there. A book could be the gateway to adventures that are far beyond the mold of a third grader.