You read to your child from the cradle, surround him with books, enroll him in the library - and he winces at the word "letters".
What's the catch? It turns out that the reason is not gadgets or laziness. The whole point is that you (yes, you!) have turned reading into... punishment.
Sounds absurd? Let me explain.
Remember: when a child is naughty, you threaten: "If you don't calm down, you'll read a book instead of cartoons!" Or: "You won't go for a walk until you finish the chapter!"
The child's brain clearly associates reading with negativity. For him, it is not an adventure, but a duty, like washing floors.
Even if you don't, school often finishes the job: "Read it, retell it, answer the questions." Books become part of the "required curriculum" rather than a source of joy.
The second mistake is to impose the "right" books. "Harry Potter is rubbish, but in my childhood there were real heroes!"
But your child is not interested in your ideals. If he likes comics about monsters, buy them. Let him read even cereal labels - the main thing is that the process is associated with freedom, not duty.
How to fix this? Create rituals where reading is a pleasure, not a lesson. For example, turn off the lights in the evening, turn on a flashlight, and read each other "scary stories" in a whisper.
Or suggest: “Let me read the first chapter, and if you don’t want to, we’ll quit.” Most likely, he’ll ask you to continue.
Another life hack is to “forget” the book in the most visible place. Children love what is “not allowed”, so a volume with an intriguing cover “accidentally” left on the table can become a magnet.
And remember: a child will love books only when he sees how you yourself immerse yourself in them with pleasure, and not because “you have to.”
Reading should smell like a secret, not like school. Start with this - and in a month he will ask for a new book himself.
Author: Kurchev Anton