Reading in your head

[Haberdashery]

Can I ask a question about reading silently to yourself, please? I have a DD, aged six and a bit, in year 1. She's a good reader and able to read out loud some reasonably complex (for her age) things with OK expression and taking account of punctuation etc to inform how she makes things sound (eg she can read out loud Dick King-Smith books or similar level things which are unfamiliar to her and give all the characters a voice and make it sound interesting and questions sound like questions etc). She can answer questions about what she's reading, what's happening, about the motivation of characters in her books and what might happen next and what characters might say if the situation changed etc. She likes reading and reads often for fun. So she is doing well and enjoying reading.

She has recently moved off the reading scheme at school to reading non-scheme books for school - easy chapter books which she brings home one at a time and can change as soon as she has finished one.

But she is becoming really very reluctant to read out loud to me because the process of reading is becoming automatic for her and she can read so much faster in her head. Is it OK to just let her do this and not make her read out loud to me? I realise that reading out loud is a different skill in some ways from reading to yourself and wonder if I should be making her practise this skill. Is it important for her to read out loud at this stage? She loves reading and will race through books as fast as she can get them, and I'd like to let her just get on with it, but also don't want to stop her developing the reading out loud thing if that is important. Sorry, this sounds ridiculous in a way as obviously she's doing OK and I certainly don't have concerns about her reading, but just wondered if I should be bothering any more to force her to read out loud when she is much happier just reading to herself. I do want her to love it and sometimes when I make her read out loud to me I feel that it's not actually particularly enjoyable for her.

I'd say reading out loud is still important - listen to a year 7 class reading aloud to hear the wide range in fluency and tone. But obviously a good reader enjoys getting on further in the story instead of 'ploughing through' a text. Perhaps you could try poems - pacy ones like Revolting Rhymes are actually better read aloud and will help her develop her skills without getting bored.

That's a lovely idea, thanks very much! I can see how that would be more fun than reading a lot of narrative out loud. You've reminded me that I was thinking that she might like Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats so I may give that a go as I remember enjoying it a lot at a similar age.

I don't have a year 7 class available but I will take your word for it!

It's all right; I listen to enough classes for both of us! Try nonsense poetry like Spike Milligan or old-fashioned things like the Charge of the Light Brigade even - I would also encourage learning by heart (for enjoyment, not punishment!)

I agree that it is still important to read aloud, although you don't want her to be put off by not having the opportunity to read in her head.

With school books why don't you try letting her read for so long in her head then asking if you can join in? She can tell you what has happened so far and read you a bit before continuing alone. That way you are questioning and listening to fluency etc without her realising this is what you're doing.

Poetry is a good idea, children who are strong readers seem to enjoy it.

DD is also starting to read in her head and reads some tough chapter books for a 5 yr old ie The Magic Finger etc but I have noticed that since she has started to read to herself (in her head) that when she reads aloud (to me) she does not always pause at commas and full stops etc which she always used to.

I guess it is because she is getting quicker at reading to herself. She still reads to me every day but she does still enjoy it though (reading to me).

She loves learning things by heart. She knows quite a few short poems, eg things by A A Milne (and it was her idea, not mine).

Think I might try her on quinquireme of nineveh because that is so much fun out loud (she would need a bit of help with it but I don't think that would put her off too much). Spike Milligan also sounds like a fantastic idea. Thanks so much. I don't know why I didn't think of poetry before. It is totally obvious now you've suggested it!

why don't you try letting her read for so long in her head then asking if you can join in?

This is exactly what I've been doing but it annoys her! She has been reading some harder books recently and I've been offering to take turns and we could read a chapter each or something but she just bats me away and tells me it's too slow and could I just leave her alone to get on with it! She also doesn't want to slow down to read a bit to me because she JUST WANTS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. NOW.

I think poetry is definitely the way forward. She does like doing the voices etc but with a story there's no incentive to do it because the more important thing is to see what happens etc. With poetry, there'd be an extra layer to it. I also think it might be very good for her vocabulary etc, which can only be a good thing.

Try "On the Ning Nang Hong" - my teacher used to read it to us when I was 6 and I still remember it now.

Argh, Ning Nang Nong, stupid autocorrect.

Oh yes, had forgotten that one. Thank you! I loved that as a kid. And Jabberwocky, perhaps?

She sounds just like me as a child, I used to get so frustrated with my dm and teachers making me read out loud when that was so slow and I just wanted to get on with the story. My dm gave up making me read out loud or reading to me (I still hate people reading to me as it's SO slow ) when I was about 6 or 7 and was clearly fluent. I would ask her if I was stuck on a word but otherwise she let me get on with it. Teachers used to get annoyed with me because I was always many chapters ahead of the class as I would just continue reading myself and not listen to whoever was reading out their bit but there wasn't much they could say really as I understood it all and could read out loud perfectly well if I wanted to. I've got an Oxbridge degree so didn't do me any harm .

Honestly from my experience I would let her read as much as she wants by herself with maybe the poems as others have suggested to read out loud. The frustration of having to read slowly is awful.

You could read part of a book together as a play, take different characters.

My kids are
Five. I read them hilaire Belloc they love them! Also they live reading a a Milne to me and simple kids collections like twinkle twinkle chocolate bar. Also started as they were getting ratty about reading aloud (but, I discovered, were not reading as fluently in their heads as they believed eg skipping bits and jumping to end and not bothering tonsound out proper names in their heads...)

Thanks, everyone. I think I will try the poetry.

She does ask me if she's stuck on a word but it tends to be just that she hasn't heard it before so doesn't know what it means - she can usually read it out loud with correct pronunciation. If not correct, then it is reasonable phonetic pronunciation.

That's also a nice idea, exotic. Think she might enjoy that. Before she was taken off the reading scheme, we had a few Biff and Chip etc play scripts home and she loved acting them out. She just doesn't want to read me stories and I can absolutely see her point of view, hence asking if it was actually important.

She does actually quite like me reading to her as I really love reading out loud so do try my best to make it fun, and we often read easier books together. eg Hairy MacLary etc, which I suppose is basically poetry. But with her own books she just wants me to bog off and leave her to it!

I have also thought of Edward Lear, which I think might be about the right kind of thing to read out loud.

Hilaire Belloc is a fab idea. Thanks!

You can see her point of view- I am a fast reader and I would be irritated if I was in the middle of a story and someone wanted me to read part aloud- I would just be inclined to say they could borrow it when I had finished!
Poetry and treating books as plays is the best way to go- and not the one she is reading- something just picked for fun.

Yes, I'm a fast reader too, and can completely see her point of view as I'd be v irritated to be asked to stop when I was enjoying it! Hence asking if it was really important or just something that was an extra strand to her already competent reading. I think we will probably both enjoy the plays/poetry ideas so thanks to all of you - I think anything that makes reading fun can only be a good idea.

And many many thanks for all the lovely poetry ideas here. I can't think how I had forgotten so many things that I also loved as a child.