Reading Pokemon Cards

Want your kid to read?

Give them something they want to read about!

We’ve been borrowing books about fish and the ocean from the library based on our son’s interest which really got him into books and looking at pictures. But now that I want him to focus on really decoding and sounding out words for himself, he needs shorter little chunks of words to read with an immediate reward to get into this good habit.

Enter: Pokemon Cards!

Who knew, that the thing he wanted and got for Christmas, was going to be the thing to help him read! He wants to learn all the Pokemon and their “damages” or powers and so needs to read their names and the information on each card. He would ask me to read each one, but I told him, “Buddy, you need to be able to figure out your Pokemon names and their powers otherwise you can’t call on them for battle.” OMG that did the trick! :p

He goes through those cards now on his own with discipline…almost like flash cards!

And when we go to the library, he is borrowing Pokemon books! (Wow, didn’t know library had this too! He found his new favorite section).

Don’t give up parents. Maybe the light switch for reading is right in your home or a “Pokemon card” away!

erin’s tip

This new reading habit makes sense when reflecting on James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits:” In it, he says “What gets rewarded gets repeated.” Our son loves to learn about Pokemon. It is a reward so he will read and repeat until he can get them all!