3 Tips for Raising Homeschooled Middle School Book Lovers

With one foot in the elementary grades and high school on the horizon, homeschooling middle school is a challenge. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Add in a struggling middle school reader and it seems it is almost impossible to prepare them for the reading load of the upper grades.

Today, I want to share 3 tips for raising homeschooled middle school book lovers that have worked for me.

I was sponsored by Read Brightly and Random House and I was paid for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off.  ALL opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. And I have the choice of whom I partner with because I feel it may be beneficial to my followers. Read my full disclosure here.

Raising a Brood of Book Lovers – Not A Better Job Ever

Hopefully, one of these tips will click with your middleschooler.

Let them lounge in picture books.

There is no rush to get to greater and better novels that come in high school.

Picture books have a way of massaging the imagination. A reluctant reader may need more help visualizing the plot or characters. Associating a picture with a concept builds a love of reading.

Unexpected Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Middleschooler

It is not only beneficial for your child to continue to hear you read aloud to them in the middle school years, but it can help to identify any potential problems.

I have one son that took me a while longer to figure out why he struggled with reading.

I noticed that when he read on his own he wasn’t that enthusiastic. I thought maybe it was his choices of books that didn’t motivate him and I gave him guidance on books that piqued his interest as boy.

However, each day as I got ready to read aloud to him, he just breathed in every word I was reading. He literally begged me to ready two or three more chapters.

Soon, I found out that he was a strong auditory learner.

Knowing this, I have been able to feed his love for reading by not only reading aloud to him but helping to him find suitable audio books.

By mixing in reading aloud, audio books and having him read on his own, I have been able to lead him down the road to a lifelong reader.

Create a Reading Routine – Don’t Crowd it Out with Boring Worksheets

Middle school kids have a new found taste for freedom and with that comes learning how to create a reading routine.

They don’t have it down yet, which means you have to help them. The way I help my sons find time for reading is by not demanding that each book have an overwhelming amount of activities, if any, to accompany it.

Reading is about – reading. It’s about finding time to dive into a book without worrying about reading comprehension, boring worksheets or book reports.

Though I am concerned with my boys analyzing what they read, dissecting every book they want to read reduces reading to one boring project after another. Then we wonder why kids don’t like to read.

Check out my article What Makes Reading Painful for Homeschooled Kids. Let Go of Busy Work to Raise Lifelong Readers.

Let middle school kids be kids a bit longer, but especially let them find their reading groove while they are still in middle school.

(post updated because the giveaway has closed)

Hugs and love ya,

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