To think you do have to do more than read with your child?

[areyousurre]

I’ve read a lot on here and other resources that all you should do with primary aged children is read to them / with them, and I suppose I’m questioning that a bit.

I’ve always read widely with my children but I’m not sure it’s made any real discernible difference in terms of language development or progress academically. And I now feel guilty that I haven’t done more!

I’d be interested in hearing what people honestly think. I don’t mean I’m going to stop reading to them but I do think I should be maybe doing more.

My now 12 year old was in year 3 during the 3rd lockdown. He struggled hugely with the work set by the school but we read a lot together and hoped for the best. He was barely able to read at the beginning of year 3 but he progressed a lot with reading that year.

The most empowering thing I did for DS was ignore all the advice to let him continue struggling - the shear joy he had in reading once he got pass struggle was just lovely to see and his later primary school teachers said they could see he read widley by his written work - he read all the horrible series history science and geography.

It was easier -as despite reading from pg and him loving books and knowing phonic sounds and reading simple words - he clearly didn't get reading unlike our eldest who was limping along with promise it would suddenly all click for her- she limped well into teen years despite our belated home support.

He had glue ear and poor short term memory and just couldn't blend - a tip in dancing bears of shouting made a huge difference. Took years for him to catch up as little and often is best.

So many poster and parents in RL who had kids that didn't struggle patronising telling me to let him play leave him alone to struggle on falling further behind. He did have time to play and do other things - and older two despite early reading problems are both at good universities at minute so got where they wanted to be in the end.