While many of you and your children’s teachers will encourage reading and some of your kids might even be taking part in summer reading challenges, there are many children who simply don’t enjoy reading. For some it’s because they haven’t found the right book, for others it’s because they struggle to make sense of the words and for some, they just prefer to watch stories play out rather than read about them.
Not reading if you don’t want to is fine when it’s for fun, but when it’s to help benefit them at school, it can be a bit of a challenge. If you have a child that struggles with reading because of dyslexia or just generally being a bit reluctant to open a book, here are some tips to help them.
- Find something that appeals to their interests.
There are a lot of books out there and while you might want them to pick up something academic, sometimes, the key to getting your child to read is all about finding them the right subject matter. Why not take them to the library and have them browse through some of the books on offer and see if anything interests them. - Set aside some quiet time
For kids that struggle with reading because they’re easily distracted or they need to concentrate, you can help them by making sure there is some time where the home is quiet. Turn off the TV and any music and maybe sit with them quietly and let them have a go at reading. That way you’re on hand to help if they get stuck with any words and you can monitor the volume around them to help them concentrate. - Encourage them to talk about what they’re reading
Sometimes it isn’t so much that they don’t want to read, it’s that they don’t really know how to arrange their thoughts when they are reading. Talk to your child about what they are reading, either at school or in their free time and discuss it with them. This can make them more eager to read other books that they can then also talk to you about. - Make it fun
You might love reading and think it is your ideal recreational activity, but for those that want to play video games or be on a tablet or phone, you will need to think a bit outside the box. Why not read with them taking it in turns to do each character in different voices or get them to act out scenes with you? Some children learn better by doing rather than reading, so it can help them get to grips with new words and understand different scenarios doing it this way. - It isn’t just about traditional books
Why not have your child read out recipes or information to you from the paper or forms? It’s a sneaky way to get them reading and if they get stuck on a word, you’re on hand to help them. - Encourage them to swap books with their friends
Book clubs aren’t just for adults and can be a great way to make sure your kids get to see their friends during school holidays, why not offer to host them one afternoon so that they can talk about the books they’re reading and swap others they’ve enjoyed. - Normalise reading
For some, reading is just a school thing and not something they associate with doing in their free time. If you have the space, set up a family bookshelf with a variety of books on it. If they see you taking an interest in this shelf and reading books from it, they’ll follow suit. - Pick books with dyslexia friendly fonts
With the raise in awareness of dyslexia and other conditions that can make reading difficult, publishers now produce a number of books with dyslexia friendly fonts and different coloured paper and printing which makes it easier for them to get to grips with it. See if your local library has access to these or if the school can recommend any. - Audio books
Yes, getting children to read words and understand them is the key, but audio books are a completely valid medium to help them widen their vocabulary and get into reading. For children with sight problems or difficulty with reading, listening to an audio book can be a great way to get them involved in reading and story telling. Plus, many libraries now offer an audio book service where you can hire and download digital audio books much the same way as you can traditional books.
