Literacy is NOT Optional

August 18, 2018

“Reading is more caught than taught.” (Educator and author Jim Trelease)

Literacy is NOT Optional. With all the competition vying for children’s attention today, is it still possible to encourage kids to read? It is definitely more challenging, especially with so many distractions, but it is possible.

What if the road to reading is a bumpy one for your son? Sometimes there will be a leap forward, then a setback.

I speak to other mums (and witnessed it as a teacher) whose sons fall into the above categories. Don’t worry, there are things we can do to help them.

It’s not a sprint

Many boys identify with sport and training. Tell your son that reading is no different from any other skill – they must persist. Any sport starts with a small skill, which you then build on.

Get the ‘just right’ book

Even those that can read can still struggle. I remember tutoring a Year 6 boy whose mother said that his teachers always commented on his poor reading. She battled endlessly to get him to read the required 20 minutes every day for homework. It wasn’t that he was a bad reader, he just struggled to read the content issued from school. He loved camping and 4 wheel driving so we gave him some magazines and he was keen to read each night. This is a common problem for older readers. I absolutely believe that you have to get the level and content right for boys. Don’t dismiss graphic novels or subscriptions to magazines like Double Helix . My younger son has just discovered these and loves them. They are a great blend of science, technology, puzzles and amazing facts. Or Zoobooks. Another discovery in our house last week. Great for the kid who loves animals.

Build on lots of little successes

Rayma Griffin works for Understood.org and has dedicated 40 years to establishing a gentle, positive approach to reading for struggling readers and one that focusses on raising the child’s self-esteem. Here are some of her ideas that you may find helpful:

Recognise and encourage his strengths
Point out something that he/she did earlier than others (e.g. riding a bike, spoke early, walked early). Explain that while his peers can now do all those things, it may have taken them. Draw the comparison to reading – it may take him a little longer.
Set small, achievable goals e.g. Can you read for 11 minutes after dinner? Does he want to read 5 non-fiction books in 5 months? (NOTE: Discuss with your son how you will track his progress. Make a tracking chart/badge system where he is rewarded for time spent reading. Breaking up the bigger goals into smaller milestones allows you both to see his achievements.)
Read to him/her often.
Find a series of books/magazines that appeal to his interest.
As parents, share something with your child that you struggle with and how you work to overcome this. “That will show him/her that they are not alone and everyone struggles with something,” says Griffin.
Partner with the teacher to form a “trinity” of parent, child and teacher to work on reading improvement.