How to Help Kids Love Reading
Tess O'Driscoll loves books, and she wants to share that love with the kids she knows. In the classroom and in her home, books have become a focus. Through stories, she is able to teach her students more than just vocabulary and grammar--she teaches them to love reading. This one simple strategy improved reading levels and created kids who love reading.
For more from Tess, go to Instagram: @tess_beyondsurvivalmom
Listen to the podcast here:
About Tess
Tess O'Driscoll taught Pre-K for 10 years. She taught in 3rd and 4th grade before coming home to be a mom to her three boys.
In her classroom, she had a high focus on books.
Tess now teaches social media to others building an online business.
When she was younger, she went through a traumatic time.
Her Grandpa introduced her to Harry Potter.
She fell in love, because she could be in the story. She learned life skills and how to get
through difficult times.
Pre-K
As a Pre-K teacher, she constantly introduced books.
They used books in each unit.
She would spend at least an hour reading aloud and taught her lessons through books.
Kids can connect to stories on a deeper level.
In the Classroom
In 3rd and 4th grade, Tess wanted to teach her students like skills.
She used a high focus on read-alouds.
As a first year teacher, her class had “basically no reading abilities.”
She wondered, “Where do I start?”
She decided to use her love of reading. She picked books that she loved and had read a lot, and would read aloud at least half an hour each day.
At the end of the year, their reading levels had increased significantly.
Reading Aloud
Kids needed the story.
It helped them to make a connection.
They couldn’t read the books that were higher level, so she would read aloud to them so they could have these rich experiences.
In the Home
Her oldest son loves books.
They give books as gifts.
They read together daily.
She reads books that he loves and encourages parents to read books that kids enjoy.
Foster a love of reading by having books all over the house.
Set out books so that it looks pretty, make books available.
Say yes to reading.
Let your kids see you reading.
