Collaborative Post
Reading is incredibly important to a child’s development, so parents are encouraged to read with them regularly to help them improve this skill and help develop their vocabulary and other literacy skills. Some children struggle with reading, and this can knock their confidence. Even if your child is reluctant to read, try to keep encouraging them to do so and use these tips to make sure they’re getting the right support they need.
Read Daily
As mentioned above, reading regularly with children is a key part of developing their skills and increasing their confidence. Make reading part of your daily routine with them, whether you read with them at night before bed or after school. Reading your children a bedtime story is great and can be a lovely bonding experience, but try to get them to read aloud to you as well as part of this routine. Whether you take it in turns to read passages of text or get them to read you the entire chapter of a book, just make sure they’re doing part of the work as well.
Do They Need Glasses?
One of the reasons your child might struggle with confidence in reading is because they can’t see the text. If you’re child often complains of headaches as they try to read or tell you their vision is blurry or their eyes are uncomfortable, this could be a sign that they need glasses. Visit your local opticians to get your child’s eyes tested, and if they do need reading glasses, you can find affordable and stylish designs at places like Just-glasses.co.uk.
Are They Dyslexic?
Another issue that might be knocking your child’s confidence when reading is dyslexia. This is a very common condition that affects how people can identify the sounds of words compared with how they’re written down. They might particularly struggle with silent letters or words that combine letters to make similar sounds to singular ones (e.g. – paragraph). If your child seems to struggle with spelling or is reading below the reading age level they should be, this could be an indication of dyslexia. Ask your child’s teacher if they have noticed anything or arrange a test with your doctor.
Get Them to Read in Public
Public speaking and reading passages aloud in class is a common occurrence in the school environment. Still, for many children, this kind of pressure can be distressing, particularly if they lack confidence when it comes to reading. Getting them to read aloud to you is one way to help, but perhaps slowly introducing more people into the room to listen to them read over time, like a sibling or your partner. The audience will be made up of people they trust, but they will also be getting used to reading aloud in front of more people.
The ability to read is such an important life skill, which is why making sure your child can read with confidence is essential. If you want to boost their morale and see them improve their reading abilities, consider the points above and how they might help.
