A parent’s guide to promoting reading in children

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Did you know that between 5% and 15% of school-aged children are behind in their reading level? Children who have difficulty reading may have trouble in school, and low literacy can lead to emotional and behavioural problems later in life.

As a parent, there is a lot that you can do to help your child develop good reading skills.

• Read to your child

  • – Even very young babies are fascinated by books. They like to flip through the pages and look at the pictures. Buy or borrow picture books made of tough baby-proof materials, such as cloth or cardboard.
  • – Toddlers can name what they see in picture books. They like rhymes and short stories, and often want to hear the same story over and over.
  • – Older toddlers and preschoolers will sit and listen to longer stories. Expose them to different books: fairy tales, poetry and short ‘chapter books’, which may take more than one sitting to finish.
  • – Even when your children can read alone, continue to read out loud with them. Choose books that are a bit above their reading level, but that they can still understand and enjoy.

• Read with your children. Children who learn to read need to practise this new skill. If they are doing well, nightly home reading is a chance for them to show off. If they are having trouble, reading at home with you provides a safe place to practise with someone they trust.

• Ask the experts for help! Teachers and librarians are good sources of advice for choosing books that are appropriate for your child’s age and reading level. Bookstore staff are often quite helpful too.

• If your children have trouble reading, choose stories that they can relate to. Look for familiar stories and experiences that they can identify with.

• If your child is an impatient reader, choose books that have movement. Books with short chapters or ‘cliff-hangers’ encourage children to keep reading.

• Remember that opportunities to read are everywhere. You can encourage your child to read street signs, the back of the cereal box or the sports pages of the daily newspaper. Recipes help children learn to read for detail – leaving out just one ingredient can lead to disaster!

• Give your child a choice among books. Though children may not like to be told what to read, they may not make good choices if left completely on their own. They may choose the biggest (or smallest) book or the one with the most attractive cover. Students who are behind in their reading level may not want to be seen with a book that is ‘babyish’, so they may choose books that are too hard for them. And sometimes books for older students with low reading levels may be boring. A good strategy is for the parent or teacher to say, “You choose one, I choose one”.

• Give your child some control over who reads and when. Readers who are struggling often complain that reading is too hard, and they give up quickly. It’s important to support children who decide to take on a longer book. You can take turns reading with the child, perhaps alternating paragraphs or pages. Or you can ‘act out’ the story – your child can read the dialogue, and you can narrate by reading the rest of the text.

• When you are helping a child read, focus on meaning. Reading well is about understanding meaning, and not just knowing how to say the words. If your child is stuck on a word, don’t just ‘sound it out’. Talk about the text and ask questions. Help your child figure out the word from the context of the rest of the passage or the pictures. Try not to interrupt unless the mistakes will affect your child’s ability to understand the text.

• Have fun with word play. Tell jokes with puns, and play games that involve words, such as Scrabble, Boggle and hangman. Do crossword puzzles together.

• Keep a record of what your child is reading. Use an incentive chart (where the child gets stickers or a special treat) to help encourage more reading, or have your child keep a reading diary or simple list. In a reading diary, children can also write down their thoughts about the books. Children should be encouraged to keep their own reading lists, which gives them practice writing as well.

• Encourage writing. Reading and writing go together. Children can practise their writing skills by making lists, keeping a journal, making a catalogue of their collections, or writing to friends and family.

• Visit the library, and create one at home. If there are more books than toys in the house, a child is more likely to pick up a book when there’s nothing to do. Also, get your child a library card as soon as you can. Make a library visit part of your weekly routine.

• Be a role model! It’s important for children to see their parents enjoying reading. If children see their parents and family members reading books, newspapers and magazines, they’ll learn that reading is important and valuable.

Source: Children with School Problems: A Physician’s Manual. Ottawa: Canadian Paediatric Society, 1998.