Supporting your child’s reading skills early on in their life might just be one of the best gifts that you give them. After all, strong reading skills are one of those things that offer compounding benefits over time; the journey might start by simply helping your child to become comfortable with reading, but there’s no telling what it might lead to. After all, strong reading skills are a foundational component of academic success, which itself is a precursor for success in adulthood.
Long story short: your child’s reading capabilities are important, and there are plenty of ways in which you can support them on their journey by being available for them and finding extra help from Care.com tutors, too. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the most effective strategies for boosting your child’s reading confidence.
Read Aloud to Them
Most parents happily read aloud to their children anyway, purely because it’s fun and a great way to bond, but you’ll also be helping their reading skills to develop in the process. The importance of reading to your child each day is evidenced by this study from Ohio State University, which found that children who were read to by their parents each day knew one million more words by the time they were five compared with children whose parents didn’t read to them. The bottom line? Build daily reading into your routine — before bed is best — and then let the words work their magic.
Fill Your Home With Books
Even children who are loosely interested in books probably won’t go out of their way to find them. Most children need to be gently encouraged to spend time with a book. One way to do that is to fill your home with books, which will mean there’s always something for them to read. The types of books you keep on the shelves should be varied, especially if you have children of multiple ages. Your younger children will improve their reading skills by reading decoding books, while your slightly older children might enjoy getting lost in an awesome fantasy book. As well as having plenty of books in your home, it’s also recommended to create a cozy reading corner. Your child will be much more inspired to spend time with a book if there’s a cozily lit space with plenty of cushions.
Keep Screentime to a Minimum
Studies have shown that the amount of time that children spend reading has decreased, while the amount of time that they spend on screen time has increased. While it’s not realistic to think that your child can live without screens all the time, it can be useful to put measures in place that help to keep the time spent looking at screens to a minimum. That’ll create space for other activities, such as reading, playing, and exercise.
One way to do this is to simply turn off the internet between set hours, say, from 7 pm onward. That’ll be time not just for your children to read, but also for the adult members of the household to stay away from their devices.
Collaborate with Their School
Kids need time to read throughout the week. And seeing as most kids spend the bulk of their day at school, it’s good to know what the school is doing to encourage good reading habits. Alternative schools like Shrub Oak International School focus greatly on child-led learning time, where reading and comprehension tasks can have a greater focus in the curriculum. But it’s best to scope things out for yourself, so get in touch! Send an email, ask their teacher, or simply ask your child: how often do they get to read when they’re in class, on break, or having quiet time?
