The Importance of Teaching Your Child to Read

Learning to read opens up a magical world of imagination and learning, but some children will struggle to experience this. Flying Start looks at how picking up a book really can change your child’s life

Staggering latest statistics from the The National Literacy Trust show that just under 20 per cent of 11-year-olds did not pass Key Stage two literacy tests at level four, the national target set by the government. And although more than 90 per cent did achieve level three functional literacy in the same tests, there are worries that the growing trend for youngsters to play video games and watch television – rather than pick up a book – is stunting their potential.

Susie Dench, head of English at Valley School in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, told Flying Start: “Children who read at a young age have a joy of reading and increased understanding.

“This is because they’ve learnt at home and don’t see it as just another task to do at school.
“Primary schools encourage home reading, as even just ten minutes a night can have a massive effect, but some parents don’t even do that.
“By looking at a pupil’s writing you can actually tell that they’ve learnt to read at home by the level of vocabulary used, the way they structure their writing and the creativity is shows.”


Having sound reading skills brings life-changing benefits. An increased vocabulary will boost language as well as writing skills, and reading a wide range of materials gives children knowledge to use in all education, work and social situations.

Susie added: “A good level of literacy from a young age will boost a child’s achievement and development in every single subject they do at school.
“But not having it has a significant effect.
“In GCSE exams, students can have questions that ask them to “comment on” or “examine” something – but they might not understand what that word means and then they can’t perform.
“Reading also increases confidence, some youngsters say they cannot do something they are well capable of, because they have no confidence.”

So if an early introduction to reading is the best way to begin, how can families help give youngsters the kick-start they deserve? The National Year of Reading 2008, organised by the National Literacy Trust and backed by the government, aims to increase the amount people of all ages read. Trust experts say that reading is the most important thing a parent can do to help a child succeed – and should lead by example to make the impact last a lifetime.

Susie added: “Parents should have a lot of books in the house and lead by example by reading themselves.
“Using flash cards with words on around the house is a great idea, as is joining a library and going together because then the child can then engage with and sort through books to learn what they enjoy.
“If they don’t like a certain book, they don’t have to persevere with it because it’s all about choice.
“But, they should be encouraged to explain chin why they didn’t like it, critical reading is so important throughout a child’s education.”

Resources

The National Literacy Trust www.literacytrust.org.uk runs several national reading campaigns and is a great source of guidance for parents, organisations and teachers.

Interactive website www.astoryforbedtime.com allows parents to download MP3 files of stories to read to their children, and share their own recordings.

Developed in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills, BBC’s Digger and the Gang guides children aged from five to 11 through the National Curriculum. www.bbc.co.uk/education/schools/digger.

Don’t forget local libraries - they offer a wealth of literacy workshops and events for families to enjoy, and are a great place to discover hundreds of books.

Case Study

Author and mum-of-one Samantha Vladislas believes reading is the foundation for a child's creativity. The 29-year-old owns literacy service Quills, based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, but dedicates most of her spare time to encouraging 13-month-old son Luke to pick up books, draw and play music.

Samantha said: "I'm extremely passionate about children reading, writing, playing music and being artistic. Imagination is important for later life and it's vital to feed that.
"Reading sparks more imagination that watching a film because you create your own characters - but many people are apathetic about it.
"Children spend more time on their computers and watching television these days, but that doesn't encourage play. Reading and the arts do.
"It is shocking to see so many people illiterate in a country which has so much education available, and we need to change it."

Samantha says that the key to early development is encouragement and leading by example. She added: "Even at seven months old Luke would try and copy me playing the guitar, he's attempting to draw now and scribbles away.
"At his age it's pretty amazing but it's because I've always encouraged him along, by buying him books and reading them from when he was born.
"He loves to explore them - especially looking at the pictures and I've introduced him to writing by putting a pen in his hand and letting him have a go."

The writer, who is waiting for her first two publications to go on sale, also plans to open up a bookshop with a dedicated reading workshop. She added: "I wanted to do something that would tie in with my business, but the main reason is that it's an investment in Luke's future.
"I want him to have the best opportunities and education possible - that starts with the first pages of a book."

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