All children are innately curious. From the time of their birth, they are programmed to learn and to acquire knowledge. Reading is a fundamental part of helping children to begin to acquire knowledge independently. Learning independently is a valuable asset because it allows children to study areas of special interest.
Books are not the only reason to read of course – today in the technological era, children need to be able to read web content and online instructions in order to participate in web-based learning opportunities of all kinds.
How old should a child be before they learn to read?
Some children are capable of reading at a very early age. Some children can decipher words from around the age of 3 or 4 whilst for others, it’s not until the age of around 6 that they’re confident enough to begin reading fluently. If your child shows an interest in reading before they have even attended nursery, you can encourage their reading journey in many ways.
Reading packaging and street signs are both good ways of incorporating reading into your child’s everyday life. As your child becomes familiar with letters and the patterns they form to make words, they will become more able when it comes to reading books. Ensure your child has access to plenty of written material and for smaller children, an illustrated alphabet around their bedroom wall works wonders, for older children, you could invest in a Tidy Books bookcase.
What about children who struggle?
Children who struggle to read should never be told off. It is vital that you exercise extreme patience and understanding for these children. Sometimes it’s just a case of a child needing more time to begin to process the letters into words but for others, there may be an issue with processing, such as dyslexia, a learning disability or another learning issue.
If you are concerned about your child’s progress, it is very important that you speak to their teacher in order to come up with a plan of action to assist your child as much as possible.
Should I make my child read?
It can be difficult for parents who love reading when they have a child who doesn’t like spending hours with a book. The important thing is to provide them with reading materials which interest them.
Graphic novels are an excellent choice for older children who struggle with reading long passages. The stories are usually sophisticated enough to hold their attention and yet broken up with graphics, so they retain interest more readily.
Lastly, don’t make your child read – encourage it by providing lots of choice and plenty of visits to the library or a book shop to pick out their own book. As Dover Collee, a pre prep school in Kent, suggests, providing children with the right balance of challenge and support is vital to ensure they grow in confidence and in their ability.
Until next time,
Jada x
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