Sometimes, children say they do not like reading, that the words do not make sense, they cannot remember what they have just read or they do not understand what it means.
You may notice that your child reads with no expression in their voice, takes a a long time to read a paragraph or they may stumble over words and lose their place.
These signs show that help is needed with “reading fluency”.
Reading fluency is reading at an appropriate rate and using good tone and expression.
Someone who is fluent reads the story following punctuation clues, such as pausing at commas and speaking in a surprised tone when the sentence has an exclamation point.
By reading fluently, the sentences make more sense and this increases comprehension or ‘understanding’. Everything makes more sense, your child will understand more and, therefore, they will become more confident.
It helps to expand their | It helps them make sense of the world around them | It builds independence and self confidence |
It leads to their future success | It enhances their imagination. | It entertains them.
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Reading is essential to just about everything in life – from cooking to driving to just getting through school. It is important to start at a young age and teach your child the value of reading so they will grow to practise it often and value their ability to do so.
Sitting with your child and reading is a huge benefit, whatever the age of the child. Read together every day, even if it only for a short time, so that your child can hear how you read and start to copy that fluency. Take it in turns for a few pages and their confidence will grow much quicker than if they are tackling it on their own.
Rereading favourite books is a fun way to get started. Reading a favourite or familiar book helps build confidence again.
Show an interest in the books your child has chosen, what they have read in school, what happens in library lessons and the books that they access. If you have more than one child, encourage them to read together; if you are a reader, let them see you read and enjoy books too!