Setting Reading Targets

Eve loves books but isn't keen on reading. I'm always looking for ways to get her to read without piling pressure on as she crumbles when under pressure and then can't read as she gets so stressed she just can't even recognise letters properly. When she is relaxed and positive she reads fluently and beautifully with delightful expression, and that is how I'd always like it to be for her. I want her to love reading and get as much pleasure from it as I do! With consistent regular reading she improves vastly and then is less likely to get all twisted up over it, but here lies the catch 22, as without some pressure applied to actually read, she doesn't, and then doesn't get the benefit - you see the vicious circle?! Anyhow, I came across these target sheets and suggested to Eve that we make a target for how many books she reads every week. She loved the idea and decided she would read ten books every week - we even did some maths to work out that some days she needed to read two (or more?!) to hit her target! She chose the sharks targets for this week then jumped into her first book, once read she writes the title on the sheet and colours in a shark.

This is our book trolley. Eve's reading books are on the top shelf, Faith's are on the middle shelf and our 'cuddle up and read together's or snuggle up and look at alones' are on the bottom. Eve has a selection made up from different reading schemes that suited her progression through phonics, and some non-fiction books. I have started to include some stories from the bottom shelf too so that she branches out a little. The thing with our Eve is that she is very logical and likes life to follow suit, I think that this is why the target sheets appeal to her as they set out the stall and make her week predictable! It has removed the haggling over 'how many pages' she has to read as well! Faith has gotten in on the action too - only not for ten books a week!