But, I HATE reading!

Reading is the key to accessing lots of learning and knowledge, especially as we move up through school. But, sometimes it does not come easy to children and they can struggle to develop accurate and fluent reading skills which can be a huge barrier to accessing learning. When we deconstruct reading it is a complex process, in order to be able to read a text you need to be able to:

•       recognise letters automatically

•       assign sounds to individual letters and to combinations of letters

•       blend the sounds smoothly to make a word

•       recognise high frequency words quickly

•       recognise common patterns in words

·        understand the meaning of words and phrases

Therefore, difficulties can be present in one, some or all of these areas and to make sure progress can be made it’s important any specific areas of difficulty are identified. I also often see emotional barriers which can prevent engagement and progress in developing literacy skills. Confidence can be a HUGE barrier to learning to read. Children and young people tell me that they can panic when they see lots of writing that they are expected to read and worry about being embarrassed if they stumble on a word when reading in front of others.

An example

I was asked for involvement for Jo, a Year 4 pupil whose progress had stalled. The school SENCo told me he had made good progress in the Foundation Stage but through Key Stage One and into Year 3 his progress was becoming less and less. His class teacher told me he appears to ‘switch off’ in the classroom when there are any literacy demands such as reading or writing. His Mum told me it’s a struggle to get him to do any homework. Both his teacher and his Mum feel that he can read as he can surprise them with his knowledge, and he can demonstrate that he can read information in the environment and on computer games. On observation, in the classroom I could see Jo was popular and sociable and had good ideas in lessons which he was able to share with peers and adults but as soon as any reading or writing was asked of him he became quiet and withdrawn and appeared to shut down. I met with Jo and asked him to rate aspects of school on a 1 ☹ to 5 😊 number line, his scores were mostly 3 to 5s except for reading which he scored a 0, below the scale and said ‘I HATE reading’.  When I asked why he replied ‘it’s all the time, read this read that’, ‘it’s hard’. We then looked at his cognitive abilities and cognitive proficiencies to explore if there were any difficulties that may be contributing to his literacy skill difficulties as well as investigation of his word reading skills, comprehension skills and his phonological skills. Jo showed good underlying abilities and understanding of written text read to him, however his reading speed was slow and his sight vocabulary was not automatic, he frequently attempted to read words phonologically which was laborious and frustrating for him. We planned building his sight reading vocabulary, using daily quick burst activities and games and embedding daily paired reading into his day focused on texts of his interest to build his enjoyment and confidence.

At his review meeting, his Mum and his class teacher reported that Jo’s response to literacy tasks became more positive and his skills at recognising words by sight gradually improved. Jo described to his Mum that he thought reading would never be a favourite activity but he didn’t hate it as much.

Top tips to build enjoyment and confidence in reading

Exposure to literature

Children regularly tell me that they enjoy listening to stories read to them at school and at home. More and more children describe that when they have the opportunity they also like to be able to listen to audio books and many tell me they like to look at the physical book whilst listening to the audiobook. Looking at text whilst listening and following the story is a great tool for developing reading skills. In general, audiobooks are an excellent resource as they can help build enjoyment of story as well as developing comprehension, vocabulary and even an understanding of the use of punctuation.

In addition, graphic novels and comic style books with less text can be less intimidating than paragraphs of text for struggling or less confident readers. Not just story books, reference books can also be great; reluctant readers often tell me they enjoy looking at fact books based on areas of their own interests.

Games

Another great way to develop skills for reading is through games that have a focus on developing letter sound recognition, automatic word recognition and patterns such as rhyming words. As examples, simple matching games such as snap, alphabet/word dominoes and bingo with letter sounds/rhyming sounds. All of which can be great fun as well as building reading skills.

Read together

Paired reading is one of my favourite approaches for developing confidence in reading.

In brief paired reading involves taking turns with a more able reading partner. For example, paired reading can be effective with beginning readers, starting by sharing text and spotting words, letter sounds or rhyming words, discussing the text and/or the pictures. This can build to echo reading, where the more able reader reads, then the less able pupil reads the same text, gradually becoming more turn taking paired reading.

Thank you for reading – I hope the tips are helpful to build confidence and enjoyment in reading. As described, reading is a complex process, schools should have processes in place to identify and support struggling readers and build their skills, as well as their confidence. If you do have concerns about a child/young person struggling with reading it may be helpful to involve an Educational Psychologist.

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