Enjoy Reading
What if children just don’t enjoy reading?
If you think your child is having problems reading, the first step is always to speak to your child’s teacher and share your concerns. Many children learn at different rates, and you shouldn’t get anxious. Remember that anxious children can’t learn, and that early enjoyment of books and stories lasts for life.
What do I do if my child doesn’t enjoy reading? • Make sure your child isn’t tired, hungry or desperate to watch their favourite TV programme when you read to them. Sit with them for a short time every day and read a book with them on a subject that interests them, whether that’s cars, animals or sports. Don’t expect them to read it for themselves. Just show them how interesting it is to be able to read so that they want to do it for themselves. • For many children, especially boys as they get older, non-fiction books are more interesting than fiction, so it may be as simple as changing the type of books you are reading together. Talk to your teacher or a local children’s librarian to see what books are available that match your child’s interests. • Give plenty of praise. Let your child know how pleased you are when he or she looks at a book. Show interest in what they have chosen. Children really do develop at their own rates when it comes to reading.
My son is switching off reading - what can I do? Research shows that boys are less likely to enjoy reading than girls. More boys than girls struggle with reading and writing at school and boys are more likely to say they don’t spend any time reading outside the classroom. But there are ways you can help: • It’s important to make sure that you’re reading something with your son which interests him. Many boys like non-fiction books, so try asking at your local library for recommendations – it may be that he’ll enjoy reading Horrible Histories or the Guinness Book of Records more than fiction. • Role models are also important. Make sure boys see their dads, uncles or granddads reading, even if it’s a newspaper, so that it seems familiar and they can copy their reading behaviour. • Finally, praise your son when something is read well. Equally, if he reads something incorrectly, don’t make him feel that this is bad - mistakes are just part of the learning process.
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