Reading should be a pleasure not a chore
It is really important that you make reading a natural part of family activities.
- Try to make sure that your child sees you reading regularly.
- Be aware that reading is not just about reading books, it plays a large part in our daily lives.
- Talk about the books, newspapers or magazines you have been reading.
- Find a magazine based on your child’s interests to read together.
- Use local libraries and bookshops.
- Make use of audio-books – available in libraries or Listening Books or Amazon’s Audible.
- Read aloud to your child as often as possible (regardless of how old they are) making it an enjoyable experience that you share together. (see below)
- If you have much younger children, encourage your child to hear them read or even read simple books to the much younger brother or sister.
- Whenever you are reading with your child at home, try to identify the purpose. For example, is it for fun, or for homework, or to find out information on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.
Reading aloud with your child
When you are reading aloud to your child, encourage them to follow the text as you are reading it. This will help to develop the eye movements needed for reading. Try to make the whole experience an enjoyable one.
If your child is reading aloud to you from a book they have brought home from school, consider the following:
- Choose a quiet place to read.
- Sit side by side in a comfortable position.
- Choose a time to read when you both feel good (not hungry, tired or upset).
- 10 – 15 minutes reading aloud is long enough.
- Be patient.
- Always praise your child for the words and sentences he reads well, and try hard to conceal any disappointment you might feel if he is struggling.
- Contact the school to ask about advice on any strategies they might be using in school.
Keep the flow going
Try to keep the flow of the reading going:
Check that they understand the meaning of what they are reading by discussing what might happen next, what they think about the story or the characters, reviewing where you got up to in the storyline last time you read.
If your child cannot read a word, do not allow them to struggle. Tell them the word and move on.
Sometimes take it in turns to read a sentence or a paragraph, particularly if it’s a long book. Many children enjoy being read to, so if the reading is becoming a struggle, you take over and finish the session – ending on a positive note.
Try to build up their confidence to have a go. To do this it is important not to criticise any mistakes.
Check that they understand the meaning of what they are reading by discussing what might happen next, what they think about the story or the characters, reviewing where you got up to in the storyline last time you read.
Paired reading
The ‘Paired Reading’ approach is a specific technique; useful if your child wants to read books their peers are enjoying, but is unable to read independently. It can also be useful if reading at home has become a bit of a battle. Paired reading is a research-based approach designed to increase confidence, fluency and enjoyment of reading.
Here’s how to do it:
- The pupil chooses a book of interest. It should be within the pupil’s understanding, but it doesn’t matter that it is beyond the pupil’s reading level (within reason).
- The parent and pupil both read the text aloud, together, at a slow but steady pace. The parent should run a finger along the words as they read, preferably along the bottom of the words.
- If/when the pupil reaches a word or phrase they feel they can read independently, they give an agreed signal (for example, tap on the table or the parent’s arm) and read this alone and carry on alone.
- As soon as the pupil begins to hesitate or struggle the parent simply joins in reading again and both continue reading together (no prompting, correcting or teaching should be given).
Note: At first the parent is likely to be very much ‘leading’ the reading and the pupil mainly just following, but this should shift as the pupil improves.