Build Reading Confidence in Primary Students
Many students struggle with reading confidence. As a result they dislike school and avoid reading at home. It is easy for these students to fall behind.
Developing reading confidence can help remove students’ anxiety, allowing them to relax and enjoy school. Parents play an important part when kids are learning to read, and there are many things you can do to foster a love of reading and books in your child.
Pick Inspiring Stories
When books are too advanced, children become discouraged and lose confidence. Books should be age appropriate and aligned with children’s interests. If your child likes animals, or they’re obsessed with aliens and outer space, find stories that will capture their imagination.
As they get older, it’s important to expose kids to different genres, such as adventure, fantasy and mystery. Comics and graphic novels are also very popular among young readers. The best way to ensure kids have access to a wide range of books is to visit your local library regularly.
Children should have the opportunity to pick their own books at the library. Don’t be surprised if they discard a lot of books after a few pages because they don’t like the story. According to the Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report, as they get older 41 percent of kids have difficulty finding books they enjoy. When your child gives up on a book, don’t express disappointment, just encourage them to try another one.
Read Aloud Together
When kids read aloud, they read at a slower pace, which helps them focus on the words. Through reading out loud, they also learn how to sound out and pronounce unfamiliar words. You can help your child with this, but it’s important to resist the urge to correct them immediately when they’re struggling. They need time to work it out for themselves.
To get the most out of reading aloud, it’s a good idea to establish a daily reading routine with your child. Even ten minutes a day will make a difference. You can take turns reading aloud and devote some time to reading silently so they develop independent reading skills.
Enjoy Old Favourites
Re-reading books has many benefits for kids. It helps to reinforce previous learning and gives them a chance to become fluent. This is particularly important for struggling readers. Being able to read smoothly without stumbling over words is a huge confidence booster.
When they are familiar with a story, children are more likely to pick up new information, understand the story more deeply and make connections with other learning. This also gives them the chance to think about language and how it conveys meaning.
Chat About Books
Talking about books is a good way to pique your child’s interest in reading. Ask questions when you are reading together about what they think will happen next, or why they believe a character has behaved in a certain way. This encourages kids to think more critically about what they’re reading.
It’s also great to ask kids why they love certain books and dislike others. These conversations should be relaxed and fun. There are no right or wrong answers, and it’s a good opportunity for kids to reflect on their tastes and learn to express their opinions.
Sometimes kids need a little extra support with reading. A Primary school tutor can help equip students with the skills to become confident, happy readers.