My 8 year old daughter's friends all read much more than she does!

Q. How can I encourage my daughter to read more – all the other girls seem to read much more than she does?

A. Reading is of course a key skill so your concerns are understandable, but as with learning to walk and talk it is something that happens at different times for different people. The most important thing for you to do at this stage is not to make it an issue or compare your daughter’s progress to others as they will all be learning at different rates. Here are some ideas to reassure you and help you gently encourage your daughter :

• Read to your daughter sometimes (even when she’s old enough to read alone) and let her see you reading and enjoying a book.
• Ask her to tell you when she wants to read – don’t force it
• If you find the sessions stressful – ask yourself why? If you’re in a rush and don’t have the time, then don’t do it as it will be counter-productive. For example, in the car on the way to school is not a good moment!
• If she’s reluctant to read, then read alternate pages – you then her.
• Make it a special time, when she know she has your undivided attention
• Join a library/visit bookshops so that she can choose her own reading material and see the range on offer.
• Find different types of reading materials that she enjoys – unusual books or even comics
• Write down (or print out) her own stories for her to read out loud and illustrate
• Sometimes children don’t like to read aloud – if this is the case, give her some time to read some of the story in her head, then ask her to tell you about it in her own words.
• Make reading relevant – give her the shopping list or the instruction sheet for a new toy.
• Ask other people to write her letters or send her emails – for example grandparents or overseas relatives.
• Leave notes for her in unusual places (e.g. on her pillow or in her shoes) and encourage her to write back so that reading & writing become purposeful.
• Try not to criticise – if she’s reading aloud and struggling with a word then just tell her.
• If reading seems a struggle – she could be reading the wrong level of books. Reading should flow and be understood – don’t insist on her reading the same books as friends or those that siblings read at her age.
• If she doesn’t read easily, let her ‘practice’ the page first then ‘perform’ it for you, giving her lots of praise along the way.
• If you have concerns that reading is becoming a real issue then stop and take advice from your daughter’s class teacher or other school contacts.
• If she chooses easy books then let her, they will build her confidence and understanding and she will then progress of her own accord.

C Macleod – Head of Junior Department, Dunottar School
A Johnson – Head of Roch House Preparatory School, Abbots Bromley School for Girls