reluctant reader - what should I do?

[chachachachacha]

DD is in reception and is a bright little thing - always ahead of her developmental milestones and a v early speaker.

I'm the least competitive/pushy parent and made a conscious decision to not try and teach her to read as I wanted her to go through the learning experience at school as I didn't feel that I had the skills to teach her myself. She's got good letter recognition and is starting to sound words out well.

Had parents evening last week and the teacher said that she seemed anxious when she was reading and tried to avoid doing it. Since she started school she's really not interested in looking at any of her school books or sight words at home. Its almost like she doesn't want to try in case she fails. I've just let her carry on reading her normal books at home. We always have bedtime stories and normally read together in the mornings.

When she got home from school today she said she didn't like reading.

So - how can I best support her around this? I asked her if she wanted me to help her learn to read at home - but how do I do this?

It wouldn't surprise me if she avoided any reading out loud for a few years and then once she'd learnt in her head that she'd read fluently out loud!

[ninah]

sounds like she's well ahead of herself I should relax and let her settle into reception, enjoy learning through play and forming friendships
what do you mean 'reading her normal books at home'? sounds like she's doing plenty, I'd back off before she develops a real aversion

[Pyrocanthus]

My DD went through a 'fear of failure' period in reception, when she seemed to be hovering on the edge of reading but didn't want to jump in. I think with her it might have been partly because she'd been at a nursery where early reading wasn't particularly promoted, whereas the nursery at her school was very keen on it, and many of her friends were already reading.

We didn't do anything much other than not bother too much. We kept reading to her, and looking at her reading book every night, and it gradually came, and then she progressed quickly.

[chachachachacha]

I might continue with the not bothering too much approach then

We play hide and seek with her sight words and she can always find the right words - I think its the pressure of sitting down and doing it formally that she finds too much.

We read together at home - her normal books range from old copies of Janet & John to fairy tales and Charlie and Lola books - she spots the words that she recognises.

I think she might be at the same point as your dd was Pyrocanthus.

[ninah]

it's still very early days chacha, not even half term yet! what you're doing sounds absolutely fine
she has had lots to get used to already over the past weeks, reading will come in due course, and all the more so if she is happy and relaxed - good luck

[Pyrocanthus]

Well don't worry then - DD's 12 now and can definitely read.

[chachachachacha]

Thank you

She has such high expectations of herself already.

Can't think where she gets that from

[alysonpeaches]

If she refuses to do her reading on a few nights, let it go, but after a while you will have to try and re-engage her.

Get some really really fun books of your own to get her back into books. Suggestions are: Dont put your finger in the jelly Nelly or Octopus Socktopus by Nick Sharratt; try the red nose readers by Alan Ahlberg/Colin Mc Naughton, these are particularly wacky but also taught our kids to read after we read them to them several times, they read them back to us.

If you have to do flash card words with her, make a game with them, for instance a bingo card with the words on where you match the words (instead of numbers). You pretend you are the child and she is the teacher and keep getting them wrong so she has to correct you (make it silly!).

Just try to keep it light and fun and it will come. Dont make it a chore or force her to do what she doesnt want to. Be creative about it.

[chachachachacha]

thanks again - good suggestions - I like the bingo one - think she'd enjoy that one.

have just been reading her regular books and have been getting her to fill in the gaps where I know she knows the word and that seems a less stressful way for her to deal with it atm.

[nevertoomanyshoes]

There is a chance that she sees her peers are not as ready to read as she is and she's copying them. Just enjoy your time together and let her know that it's ok to leave it for now.

Try reading purely for enjoyment- repetitive texts are a great way to get her excited about reading, try 'Going on a Bear Hunt' or 'Letters to Mother Goose'. You might want to try some rhyming books and get her to guess the missing words that you don't read to her- Have fun!