WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD HATES READING

How do you turn a child who hates reading into a little bookworm?

Much of it begins at home and experts say even the most reluctant little reader can learn to love books if parents and caregivers follow a few simple steps.

Start by making it part of family life, every single day. And that doesn’t just mean reading to your child: it means discovering the magic of books and the printed word together.

BOOK A TIME

(Preschool and lower primary)

Reading before bed is great, but it’s also good to choose a time when your child is not tired so they can interact.

Read a wide variety of books and discuss the meaning of words and what happens in the story.

Point out rhyming words and any letters and words that they may recognise. If your child wants to read the same book every day, that’s fine, but read another story as well.

DON’T GUESS, SOUND IT OUT

There’s a well-known kid trick for impressing mum and dad: memorise the words of a favourite book or look at the pictures and guess what the next word might be.

Instead, choose a fresh book and help your child sound out unfamiliar words, breaking longer words into chunks and sounding out each part. At the end of the book, go back and practise those words again.

WORD GAMES

(Lower primary)

Help your child to hear the separate sounds in words by playing games like:

I Spy: “I spy with my little eye something beginning with ffff.’’

Shop game: Choose a letter and play the game “I went to the shop and I bought …“, taking turns to add to the list – for example, “I went to the shop and I bought a cup.’’ “I went to the shop and I bought a cup and a carrot.’’

For a trickier version, the next item can start with the last sound in the previous item – “I went to the shop and I bought a cup. I went to the shop and I bought a cup and a pig.’’