Overcoming Reading Anxiety: Read to the Clip

Inspiring reluctant readers is a challenge- a challenge that becomes bigger and bigger as students become older and reading requirements become larger and more frequent. Let’s be honest, when you look at it from a student’s point of view, here comes an authority figure handing you, the non-book lover, a huge book which you are not only required to read, but answer content questions. It would overwhelm any non-book lover, regardless of age.

Consider the use of paperclips to help overcome the anxiety of a large reading assignment. As I recently asked my 7^th grader, “how do you eat an elephant?” The answer- “One forkful at a time.” We break apart the reading of a large novel or text chapter by reading only to the clip. We repeat this daily or twice a day- depending on the urgency to complete the assignment, until the entire reading assignment is complete. Anxiety is eliminated or at least lessened- for both parent (usually Mom) and student.

For more tips like this, attend CHADD’s Parent to Parent Family Training Class, online classes are forming now.

One Response to “Overcoming Reading Anxiety: Read to the Clip”

1. ninja 650 lady says:

   July 25, 2010 at 2:50 pm

   My friend and I were arguing about this! Now I know that I was right. lol! Thanks for making me positive!