Posted by Sophie on Sun 14th January 2018
Have you ever heard the words, ‘I don't want to read'. It is probably a phrase that more than half of you reading this have heard at one point or another. As we all know reading is a massively important part of a child’s development. It is one of the first things that children learn when they start school and is the foundation of all education.
Reading gives children a sense of independence and opens up a whole new world that was unavailable to them before. Those who get left before and are unable to read well will find themselves at a constant disadvantage throughout their education and adult lives as well.
Reading doesn't only have educational benefits but social ones as well. Reading with your child can be one of the most exciting, memorable and special times for you as a parent. It is not everyday you can help teach your child a skill they will use every single day for the rest of their lives!
So if you hear this phrase, what can you do to positively encourage your child to want to read?
The main advice I always give is to make sure the book is about something your child is interested in. Imagine that you love dinosaurs, playing with them and finding out about them. Then imagine that all the books that you were given to read were about tractors, farms or trains for example. The best way to encourage someone to read is to introduce them to reading about something that they love. Of course, they cant read about dinosaurs for ever, but using this as a stepping stone is very helpful. Another great way of encouraging your child to read is to make sure the book isn't too difficult to read, having an inaccessible book can discourage them from wanting to read it. If you think the book is too hard, find a simpler one and work back up to trickier ones. In todays world there are also many distractions, it is vitally important to pick a quiet time to read. If it is too busy then it can be hard to concentrate on the book and the plot.
Making reading fun can have a positive impact on your child’s development, you could also try reading to them initially until they want to have a go themselves, or try fun interactive games to improve their phonics skills before they try to read too much.
www.oninephonicsgames.com have some really good recommendations of fun online phonics games that aren't just our own.
I hope this information has been helpful, I would love to hear how you get on!