By Stacy DeBroff
Reading is such a fundamental element of school that the first signs of struggle can be frightening. Most kids, however, usually struggle at some point, and all kids go through phases where their love for books wanes. The trick is to help your child stay upbeat and get them engage in reading what they love.
If reading is a problem for your child, seek help—reading problems rarely resolve themselves without extra attention to specific skills.
If your elementary school child’s teacher tells you your child is struggling with reading, or if she gives your child an unexpectedly low grade on reading, work with the teacher to pinpoint your child’s difficulties and find out where the problem lies. Is it his pronunciation, speed, or comprehension?
The end of first grade is a good checkpoint to assess your child’s reading capabilities. If your child has difficulty with reading and is lagging behind his peers, talk to the teacher to see if he should go to a reading specialist for help and testing.
Around third and fourth grade, reading becomes crucial for success in most academic subjects because the emphasis shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. So, if your child has difficulty reading or has low reading comprehension skills, his overall academic achievement will decline.
Most importantly, find something your child is interested in reading about and that will help spark his passion for the world of books. Reading anything, even comic books, is better than reading nothing at all.
Studies show that as students move through the grades, voluntary reading decreases and negative attitudes toward reading increase. Often students’ interest in reading begins to taper off around the time they enter middle school as other activities become more appealing.
All kids go through stages during which they read a lot and others in which they barely touch a book. This happens especially at periods of high stress or change. Let your child move through these phases naturally and without forcing him to read, but allow him to read whatever he wants. The most important thing is that he keeps reading.
Try tying reading choices to TV and movies. Check to see if there are any new movies or shows based on children’s books, like Harry Potter or Stuart Little. Classics like Shakespeare have new dimension when witnessed live.
Consider reading books along with him so the two of you can discuss the story when you’re done.
Image From: IParenting
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