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SYDNEY – During Book Week, we’ll see countless photos on social media of happy children dressed up in costumes of their favourite book characters, while schools hold daily events to celebrate the joy of reading.
This is a fun time for many children, who enjoy dressing up as Hermione or Dog Man from Harry Potter and talking about the books with their friends and teachers.
But what if your child doesn’t like to read?
This is a growing challenge in many parts of the world. A 2023 survey found that more than 50 percent of children aged eight to 18 in the United Kingdom do not enjoy reading in their free time. In the United States, only 14 percent of 13-year-old students reported that they read for fun almost every day.
The situation is slightly better in Australia – but almost 30 per cent of Australian children aged five to 14 say they do not read for pleasure.
What can you do if your child is reluctant to read? The best first step is to find out why.
Why is it important for kids to enjoy reading – or at least not hate it?
It may be tempting to “pass” a child if they don’t like to read, but this won’t help them in the long run. Most jobs rely on reading and writing – even those that are more practical. For example, trades involve a lot of forms, instructions, and certification.
Once a child is taught to read, he or she needs practice to become good at it – or at least pretty good. This is why liking reading, or at least not hating it, is important. This gives children practice.
What is the reason?
There are several reasons a child might say they hate reading:
1) They may not be as good at reading as other children in the class, so they make the assumption that they are not good at reading based on their own observations or feedback from others.
2) It may also make them anxious or afraid to read, especially in front of other people
3) So they avoid reading to avoid feeling bad.
But even if a child doesn’t have a problem with reading, he or she may not like to read.
Maybe their interests are something else. Or they don’t see any point in reading.
How can you find out the root cause?
The best way to start is to think about what your child says about reading, or what he or she has said before.
Is it likely that they are having trouble reading in school? Do they think they are “bad” at reading? Does reading make them anxious or make them feel “anxious”? Do they actively try to avoid reading? Do they find it difficult to find something to read that interests them?
If nothing comes to mind, you could try talking to your child – in a gentle way – to see if any of these things are a problem for them. If you’re worried it might turn into an argument, or they might say “I don’t know, I just don’t like it”, ask their teacher.
His teacher should know where your child ranks in the class in terms of reading ability and feelings about reading, and whether he or she tries to avoid reading for any reason.
second opinion?
If you need someone else’s opinion, you may want to take your child to see a reading specialist. Before booking a session, ask if they can assess your child’s confidence, interest in reading, and feelings, as well as their reading skills. These all play a role in how well your child reads and how much they enjoy reading.
Also make sure the expert can make recommendations about next steps based on the results, rather than just giving you the results without taking any action.
What can you do at home?
First, help your child find books or articles on topics that really interest them. Perhaps take them to the local library or bookstore so they can choose their own book. Or explore your local street library on a walk together. Show an interest in their interests.
Second, help your child find a meaningful goal for reading. Are they determined to read all the books in a series? Or do they have more practical goals? Show interest in how they are progressing toward their goal.
Third, support your child’s reading self-efficacy, which is their belief that they can meet their reading goals. Try to avoid showing frustration if their progress is slow. Take an interest in what they are learning through their reading.
final thoughts
At some point, you may find that your child is discouraged because he or she has chosen a lesson that is too easy or too difficult.
In the first case, you could say that their reading is “too good for this book, so let’s find something more interesting tomorrow”.
In the second case, you can offer to help them read every other page, or help them read the parts they can’t read. This way you can read the book together.
Over time, you’ll both learn how to find texts that aren’t too easy or too difficult.
This article is generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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