Our advice for parents on how to identify a reluctant reader, and how to provide them with learning support as they develop.

Reading is a skill learnt both in and out of the classroom and we should not underestimate the influence of practice at home. While teacher assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7) and SATs at the end of KS2 (age 11) will give a performance indicator and therefore highlight any major concerns, it may be parents or carers who are the first to notice areas of weakness in their child.

Recognising a child who is struggling with reading

To recognise the signs of reluctance and incapability in your child, you should bear the following tips in mind when they turn their attention to reading.

1) At Key Stage 1 (five to seven years), a child who does not recognise or cannot remember rhymes and who has difficulty sorting out letters and sounds may be displaying signs of reading difficulty.

2) More specifically he or she may need help with blending (sounding out letters and then blending them together to read a complete word) or segmenting words (hearing and sounding out letters for spelling).

3) At KS2 or 3 (7 – 14 years), signs of difficulty may be displayed by a child who continually chooses books considerably beneath his or her reading age, or who reads, but does not seem to comprehend, the storyline.

4) A child who is disengaged, or has low confidence in reading, may be more likely to avoid reading through any means possible: feigning a headache, finding more pressing things to do or simply showing signs of being bored.

Why does my child find reading more difficult than his/her peers?

There are various reasons why children struggle with reading. These may be:

• Developmental, as some children merely take longer to learn and need more support than others
• Physical, as some children have disabilities which affect their ability to learn to read
• Emotional, as some children may have had a negative experience with reading and therefore associate it with these unpleasant memories

Finally, one common reason for struggling can be poor eyesight. It is important to take note of how your child holds a book and how he or she is able to read signs and watch television. If in doubt, it is worth booking your child a free eyesight test just to make sure.

Related Articles:

If you're looking for advice for parents or information on learning support for your kids, you might like the following articles.

Advice for Parents: Helping Struggling or Reluctant Readers

Advice fopr Parents: Identifying Different Learning Problems in Children

Learning Support: Helping Children with Special Needs