How to Encourage and Build Confidence in Young Readers.
Reading is such a core skill that it can become mired in pressure that is just not helpful for young readers. Here are some practical ways to help.
1. By hook or by crook, find a book!
Once your child has started reading, it can be awesome to find something that they can manage on their own. When we lived in France, parents would often reward their children for a job well done or a good report card by offering them a comic book. In the English-speaking world, we tend not to place quite as much value on comic books, but I feel that is an oversight.
Children gain so much from engaging with both the images and the text. What’s more, comic books tend to be funny. (Isn’t it just the best when you hear your child chuckle over something they have read in a book?) They are also often produced as a series. This means that if your child is enjoying the book, there are more. Find a library. Let them read them all. Alternatively, agree on a weekly or a monthly purchase and have them anticipating the next instalment. Enjoying a book independently can build so much reading confidence. So, just what is out there in the comic book space in the English-speaking world?
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey (Ages 6–9)
This comedic graphic novel series is easy to read. It makes youngsters laugh which is an awesome first win. There are 10 books in the series which serve to build reading confidence without any stress that might be associated with reading. The story follows the adventures of the half-dog, half-man character.
At the back of the book, the author, takes you through a step-by-step guide on how to draw the key characters in the book. If your children are interested in drawing or even creating their own characters, this could offer a great insight and inspiration for their work. Perhaps they’ll come up with a comic book of their own.
A final word — I love that these books have a hardback cover. It’s the kind of detail that honours little people with little hands and understands that they might be a little tougher on books. This makes such a difference to young, hesitant readers.
Captain Underpants (Ages 6–9)
There are currently 12 books in this series which taps into the humour of children perfectly. Although it has been turned into a movie and TV series, I’ll share a little household rule from a friend with you: “You can only watch the movie if you have read the book first.”
With so much being made into screen viewing, I think it an excellent rule. Reading these illustrated children’s novels will go a long way to nurturing a love of reading. (And then, you can watch the movies.)
2. Continue to read to your children
Even once your children are reading independently, continue reading to them. Find a moment that works for your family. Perhaps you can only manage a Sunday afternoon snuggle with a favourite book. Perhaps you have a bedtime ritual. Either way, pursue the adventures of a character and a story just beyond their reading level, but completely within their interest level.
Find out what holds their attention. Is it a Roald Dahl story? Perhaps it’s the illustrated version of Harry Potter. (Full disclosure — my children found the images too disturbing, and we had to stop reading the illustrated version of Harry Potter. We circled back to it a couple of years later.) Be mindful if something is too much and put it aside. Perhaps it’s a Michael Morpurgo novel that captures their attention. Michael Morpurgo’s novels are often about animals, and they pull at the heartstrings. Perhaps you need something sillier and funnier. Take guidance from your children and run with what works!
3. Spend the time together and create positive associations
Reading aloud helps children to hear the beauty of a language. It might well introduce them to language structures and vocabulary that are just beyond their reach. In context, they will soon understand those new words. Make sure to check your child’s understanding of specific words, but don’t allow this to fracture the story. If you know something interesting about a word, share it with them.
Allow time for children to ask questions of you too. Prompt them a little if you need to: “Is there anything you don’t understand?” “Is there a word that fascinates you?” “Who is your favourite character?” and “What do you think will happen next?” are all questions that will give you an insight into your child’s comprehension and their level of engagement. What a magical moment to spend with your children. Hopefully the enjoyment will spill over into their structured class environment and help to relieve any anxiety they might feel about reading.
4. Work together and breathe…
If your child is anxious about reading, try to find out exactly when and why. Check in with your child’s teacher to see whether they have noticed the anxiety and how you can all work together. Remind your child that it is okay to make mistakes and that we all make mistakes when we are learning something new. Remind your child to breathe — sometimes that is all we need to do.
