by Claire Curtis

Created on: May 24, 2010

If you can hook your children onto reading then they are set for life.  Reading is one of the most important gifts you can give to your children and although it can take time and for some children it will not come naturally, when they read their first book from cover to cover all by themselves the pride that you feel will never leave you.  There are a few things you can do at home to encourage a love of reading in your child.

Firstly, read, read and read some more.  Children love to mimic their grown ups so read at every opportunity and allow your children to see you do it.  If you enjoy reading then the chances are that your children will too.  Don't just read books, read road signs when you are out with your children, read grocery labels and read all the adverts that you pass.  If children can see that there is writing everywhere then that is half a step to getting them to understand the importance of reading.

Secondly, make it fun.  If you are stressing that your child may not be as far along the reading ladder as other children in their class then reading is no longer fun for them.  They will sense your anxiety and will share the stress.  Remember every child will develop different skills at different times and it is not a race.  It should be a joy to read not a chore.  Choose books that are suited to their ability and interests.  Sound new words out together and make it fun.  It is not cheating to use the pictures as clues to what the words may say, that's why there are pictures.

Thirdly, let the children see you learning too.  I love reading, I love the English language but it is not an easy language to learn to read.  There are so many rules that don't apply to every word.  It can be so frustrating for a six year old to have learnt a rule, to apply it to a word and then be told, actually that says something completely different because that rule doesn't apply here.  So let them teach you some of what they learn at school.  For example I didn't know that the phonetic sound for X is "ks" but it makes sense if you think about.  Or if you're already a whiz at your phonetic alphabet learn a new language and let your children see you struggle too.  It helps them to feel that they are normal, that nothing comes totally naturally, that reading has to be worked at.

Fourthly, heap praise on them.  Whatever level your child is at if they sound out a new word and they get it right, praise them.  The sense of achievement is multiplied tenfold if it is accompanied by an enthusiastic "well done" or a "did you just do that by yourself? That was fantastic." Think about how you'd feel if you did something for the first time and no-body praised you.  It would make you feel like not bothering again - that's how it is for our children.  So be generous with your praise and hold back on the criticism.  So what if they don't recognise a word they did last time they read, help them, encourage them and try not to dishearten them and they will be reading in no time.

Finally read to them.  However satisfying it is to read a book from cover to cover all by themselves still try to find time to read to them.  Half the fun of reading, especially fiction books, is picturing the action in your mind.  If they are struggling to sound out words then the pictures are not there and although the sense of achievement is there the story may have been lost along the way.  So read to them so that their love of books may be maintained as they learn to read themselves.

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