Ready, steady, read!

Safeguarding the mental health of our children and youth. (Image: Supplied)

"The more you read, the more you will know. The more you know, the more places you will go."  – Dr Seuss

What type of reader is your child?

• Loves to read!
• Could take it or leave it.
• Actively dislikes reading.

Reading is an essential part of our lives, and we must help our children find an enduring love for the stories between the pages. Our goal at Arrow is to ignite a long-lasting love of reading and literature. But what if your child is not a reader? Don’t lose hope; there are many ways to approach the issue.

Why doesn’t my child like to read?

Before you can help your child, you must first understand why they resist reading in the first place.

Which scenario best describes your resistant reader?

‘Reading is too difficult’

Most people wouldn’t choose hard work as a hobby, and that’s true for your child too. If they struggle to read, they won’t enjoy it or find it interesting. If your child is struggling, try to determine the root of the problem. Do they have fluency issues or educational gaps in their phonics knowledge? Does your child struggle because they guess words and do not have the necessary vocabulary? Have you ruled out a learning difficulty? Whatever the cause, if your child feels that reading is too difficult or too much work, first address the areas that need support and provide the help they need with the assistance of their class teacher. As your child becomes better at reading and gains more confidence, they will enjoy it a lot more.

‘Reading is boring!’

Some learners find reading easy; they just do not like it. It can be that they haven’t found something they really want to read. Ask your child what they love and enjoy doing. Do they have a hobby or a special area of interest, such as dinosaurs, outer space, or nature? Encourage them to find books on topics that interest them and that they want to read. This will give them the boost they need to fall in love with reading.

Ten tips to turn your child into a bookworm

1. Make time for reading.

If your child has a jam-packed schedule and reading is sandwiched between sports and music practice, it may become an unwelcome chore. Make reading a relaxing and enjoyable time, free from pressure.

2. Set aside regular read-aloud time with your children.

Choose different high-quality, age-appropriate books about your child’s interests. Audiobooks are a fantastic option for reluctant readers. Don’t abandon read-aloud time when your children get older. No one is too old for a great read-aloud!

3. Make sure the reading material isn’t beyond your child’s abilities.

The interest may be there, but if the book is too difficult to read, your child’s motivation will fade.

4. Create a fun and comfortable reading corner.

A cosy reading corner in your home may be all the encouragement your child needs to settle down and spend time with a good book. Create a reading space with your child to make them feel part of the activity and proud of their special place.

5. Look at and encourage a variety of reading materials.

Children often gravitate towards the fiction shelves in the library or bookshop but encourage them to look a bit further. There are many other genres to consider: joke books, cookbooks, how-to books and biographies are all excellent non-fiction possibilities. Children’s magazines and graphic novels are effective in getting children to read – they won’t even notice they are doing it!

6. Try ‘buddy reading’ with your struggling reader.

‘Buddy reading’ or ‘paired reading’ will improve your child’s fluency and make them feel more comfortable about reading on their own. Find a book you want to read. You and your child take turns reading a sentence, paragraph or page. This type of reading has many benefits – the biggest being that it prevents discouragement.

7. Have your reluctant reader read easy picture books to younger siblings or family members.

This is excellent practise, builds confidence and doesn’t feel like work.

8. Let humour work its magic!

Select a humorous book at your child’s reading level and read the first chapter aloud. Then stop reading. If your child wants to find out what happens next, they must read it themselves! Laughter is the best medicine and combining humour with reading will encourage your child to read and they will realise that books can be funny and fun to read at the same time.

9. Show a love of reading.

Put down the smartphone, switch off the television and let your children see that you love to read. They will most likely develop a love for reading if they see you read books too.

10. Provide regular access to books.

Visit your public library or create a home library. Make books accessible to your child. When they want to read, make sure there are books available to them. Build a magical home library with the help of your little reader.

The late academic Charles W Eliot wrote: "Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers." (The Durable Satisfactions of Life)

Reading will mould the resilient and adaptable leaders we need to steer our country into the future. Especially if they enjoy it, too!

Let’s get reading!