Clever Ways to Inspire Reluctant Readers (or how Anansi Mommy tricked Jakey into Loving Books!)

Hello my friends of the Omschool! So teacher Omi hasn't always been an Omi (grama). First I was a mommy (isn't that nice how that works?) And one thing that is very important to me as a kid, teen, adult, mom AND Omi is reading. I love books and have a massive (like in the thousands) collection. Omi and Opie (grampa) have been reading to our four children and their children since they were infants.

But there was one member of the family who did not like books or reading or sitting on laps to read for any length of time. And that member was Jakob. It was boring to read and he had better things to do, like getting into mischief.  It took precious time away from playing with light sockets and other such dangers that he routinely terrorized his parents with.  He wasn't just a reluctant reader, he was recalcitrant, resistant and rebellious. 

Now I know this will worry you and it sure did me. You all love books and listen attentively to stories, I'm sure. Well, I was worried that Jakob would grow up to be illiterate and how embarrassing would it be for a TEACHER who loved books to have a son that did not. Not to mention how terribly sad it would be for him not to know the joy of reading. 

But don't you fret. Because this would-be sad tale has a very happy (and funny) ending. Our little book antagonist grew up to be their biggest champion and to delight in reading. He reads to his children now and they have many favorites too. But it didn't happen by accident. How it happened requires a story in itself. And one of my other favorite things to do is tell stories. So get comfy and we'll begin it. 

Now, there is a character in African folklore who is called Anansi. Anansi the spider by name and trickster by trade. All the great oral traditions of fables have one such character. Loki, Coyote, B'rer Fox to name a few. These characters love to play pranks. And as you may know, pranks can be hurtful if meant in a mean way. And Anansi the trickster is no exception. Some of his tricks are not so nice. Some also come back to bite him. 

But some turn out to be a good thing such as when he conned the sky god Nyame into giving out his stories to us. What does this have to do with Omi and Jakob? Well, Omi had to play Anansi and trick Jakob into listening to a story and thereby finding that he liked them. Here's how she did it. 

The other children were listening to Dr. Seuss stories and Jakob was, of course, monkeying around when he should have been paying attention. The other kids went off to play having enjoyed the books. And Omi decided that enough was enough. Jakob was going to sit and listen if it took me all day. I tried begging. And bribing. I tried to interest him in book after book to no avail. Finally in desperation, I pretended to give up and just read to myself. And I said so.

I picked up a random storybook, "Milk and Cookies" (Frank Asch) as it so happens and read "silently" but making as much noise as possible. I gasped! And yelled "OH NO NOT THAT!" I acted afraid and then laughed really hard. And then shrieked in alarm.  Jakob, being very curious, came scurrying over to see what the commotion was all about. As he climbed up on my lap and demanded to know, I snapped the book closed and wouldn't let him see. 

I said (very dramatically) "Oh no, this is far too scary for you to hear!" And went back to noisily silent reading. He begged and pleaded to hear it. And finally I relented and read him the story. He listened with bated breath (never catching on that it was not scary at all). He demanded to hear "Mach and Cookies" three times in a row.  And from then on, when story time was announced, he was the first one on the lap. Our little rebellious reader who had turned up his nose at books could now always to be found with his nose in one!  

So I can take some of the credit but not all. Mr. Frank Asch and Baby Bear deserve their fair share for helping me convert a sweet little rebel to bibliophile!