Unfortunately, too many kids’ introduction to science comes in the form of an elementary school text book, often worked into a couple periods a week by a teacher whose first love is not science. For a hands-on kid who for years has driven his parents nuts by taking things apart and “experimenting” on everything from dish detergent to younger siblings, there’s a reasonable chance that by the time he gets to that science text book, he is going to have decided that “reading sucks.”
If I’m describing your kid—take heart. There is a growing number of really well done books and magazines out there that might help us to nudge our reluctant reading budding scientists into the reading habit. (If I’m not describing your kid, you’ll find great stuff here for passionate readers of fiction who may not have ventured into the realm of science.)
It can be maddeningly difficult to get an active, hands-on kid to sit down and read—or sit still to be read to—for any length of time. Here are two possible solutions:
- Read aloud to your child while his or her hands are busy with something else. There’s no rule that says reading time has to be conducted snuggled on the couch. I’ve recently had a ton of fun reading science biographies to my 11-year old while he builds Legos. If this strategy takes hold, listening to an audio book while building (or drawing or painting or doing jumping jacks) might become part of your child’s routine.
- Another option is magazines. Chock full of interesting color pictures and other graphics, a magazine can be more immediately engaging than a book. Moreover, the magazine format invites a reader to skim, reading in full only those articles which are of genuine interest. I had a great experience just the other day with a reluctant-reading student: I grabbed three kid magazines from the library based on his interests, and I let him pick one (giving young readers choices can make a big difference). We flipped through just looking at the pictures until a story caught his eye, which we read aloud together, taking turns every couple paragraphs. Look for two suggestions below.
The Giants of Science series by Kathleen Krull offers excellent read aloud material which balances an examination of a scientist’s life with a healthy dose of the relevant scientific concepts. Krull’s biographies of Darwin, Curie and Da Vinci would all be excellent places to start.
In addition, picture book biographies abound, offering good read-alone or read-aloud material for slightly readers.
Happy reading!
Tim
Recommended Reads
Click on each cover for a review or more magazine information.
Charles Darwin (Giants of Science) – Kathleen Krull
KIDS DISCOVER features a different topic in the natural and social sciences each month, and is designed for children ages 7-12. The magazine is highly engaging, and features lots of photography.
YES Mag is an award-winning science magazine for children ages 10-15. Each issue has an activity or experiment related to the theme, and the magazine is long enough to cover each topic very thoroughly.
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