Developing Reading Grit

I’ve been playing around with a theory for some time that becoming  a good reader is a lot like becoming a good baseball player. Becoming a good baseball player takes time, effort, and grit. It’s the grit part of the equation that’s intriguing to me.

Perseverance and passion are the cornerstones of grit, a person’s beliefs and attitudes determine if they can cultivate grit long-term. Grit comes from believing you can succeed, even when you fail-and not giving up when you inevitably fail. It takes deliberate practice.

We’ve all seen it. Loving parents spend countless hours each week teaching their kids how to  throw, bat, and catch. They teach  baseball speak and take their kids to Astro games. Through parental enthusiasm and passion they cover all the bases so to speak.

For many kids learning to read is the first time they have to struggle to become competent. It’s the first time that mom or dad can’t do enough to help them be a better. reader. As a result they find it easier to give up and not try.

If you find that reading to and with your children isn’t paying off try another tactic. Model struggling and not giving up. Deliberately take on a challenge in the presence of your child. Model persistence and passion for getting better. That might sound crazy to you, but it works.

HOW?

Another cornerstone of grit is having fun and enjoying knowing that you are improving. Like teaching baseball, helping kids learn to read must be fun and it begins at a very early age. It all begins by showing a high level of enthusiasm for reading by reading in the presence of your children and talking excitingly about what was read. By modeling how you solve an unfamiliar word and demonstrating the patience to understand challenging  or unfamiliar ideas in a text are key moves to showing your child how to build reading grit.

Regularly research and read topics that your children are curious about. Show tenacity and grit about going deep into your study of the topic. Return often to making reading a priority. Gaining reading grit is like building muscles-make and execute a comprehensive work-out plan that goes well beyond just reading to your children.