Use joke books to encourage your child to read

Encouraging reading with joke books

Creative Resources for primary children
June 11, 2024•2 min read

By using a joke book it meant that the amount of reading to be endured was limited to just a couple of lines each time make it more bearable.

Do you have a child who is reluctant to read?

A few years ago, I worked with a lad who struggled with reading so we used to read from joke books. We would play the dotty board game with the 3-colours.

We each chose a colour, for the purpose of this you can be red, I’ll be green. Yellow can be the forfeits. As you move around the board, if anyone lands on a red, you read, if anyone lands on a green, I must read. If anyone should land on a yellow, there is a forfeit such as roll again, the other person reads, read again, move forward 3, etc. (These are each determined by the roll of a dice.  

By using a joke book it meant that the amount of reading to be endured was limited to just a couple of lines each time make it more bearable.

It also meant some of the jokes generated a smile making it seem less traumatic experience…  

If you are struggling to get your child to read, a joke book might be worth a go, just because the reading is presented in such small, generally achievable sections (though you may need to help with some of the words) and a good joke does make it hard not to smile…  

Do you have a reluctant reader?

Our goal at Clara James Tutoring is to make learning fun and accessible to everyone. If children are engaged in what they are doing they are more likely to want to participate, if they are enjoying it, they are more likely to relax and retain the information.

If they are retaining the information it will help boost their knowledge and with knowledge comes confidence.

If you have a child who enjoys learning through games and being more creative, and you enjoy spending time with them, you might be interested in the Clara James Approach, the membership group we have put together to support you in supporting your primary school aged child with their maths and English.

Interested?

Click here to learn more: The Clara James Approach

Primary educationcreative learningreluctant readersreluctant learnersHomeEducationParentingLearning
For the past 20+ years I have been a firm believer that learning should be an enjoyable experience. I appreciate that traditionally education has revolved around worksheets, textbooks, listening to teachers. But a grounding in early years and working with children who had a variety of learning styles from I learned that it is an individual activity that is personal to all of us. We don’t all learn in the same way. Our influences, our experiences, our capabilities all influence how we retain information. But through it all, I believe that if we can make it enjoyable and engaging, they will want to participate. With participation comes practice which in turn boosts skill and confidence. With an increase in skill and confidence comes a willingness to have a go. This in turn leads to more practice which leads to a positive spiral of success. The moral, we need to make learning fun, engaging, use a range of techniques.

Dawn Strachan

For the past 20+ years I have been a firm believer that learning should be an enjoyable experience. I appreciate that traditionally education has revolved around worksheets, textbooks, listening to teachers. But a grounding in early years and working with children who had a variety of learning styles from I learned that it is an individual activity that is personal to all of us. We don’t all learn in the same way. Our influences, our experiences, our capabilities all influence how we retain information. But through it all, I believe that if we can make it enjoyable and engaging, they will want to participate. With participation comes practice which in turn boosts skill and confidence. With an increase in skill and confidence comes a willingness to have a go. This in turn leads to more practice which leads to a positive spiral of success. The moral, we need to make learning fun, engaging, use a range of techniques.

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