Sometimes the support and encouragement your child needs to enjoy reading calls for a little creativity, especially if they show a lack of interest. Here's our advice for parents on helping your child through these learning problems.

Reading

Reading, whether it is by the child or the parent, should not be confined to school, homework and bedtime. Encouraging reading in the morning stimulates the mind into activity, preparing children for school, while reading on days out can supply a sense of achievement and pride, which will make any trip run more smoothly.

Breakfast

By encouraging children to read cereal boxes over breakfast, or the ingredients and witticisms on smoothie bottles, reading can develop into an enjoyable and necessary activity.

Weekends

A great way to keep your child reading through the holidays or at weekends is to encourage the reading of your surroundings: from sport scoreboards and the bus timetable on the way home, to adverts and signposts that you might encounter. In this way, you establish the sense that reading is essential to life, travel, and also to being entertained.

What to read together?

Choosing appropriate reading material is vital. Do not be scared of reading comics or magazines with your child if this is what engages them: by being interested in the subject matter, children will be motivated to find out more.

Modern children are surrounded by technology: computers, computer games, televisions: things which reduce the need to read to a minimum. Instead of fighting this, however, you can turn it to your advantage. Buying eBooks (electronic books) can increase the novelty of reading - try www.i-stars.co.uk, an eBookshop specifically for parents and teachers. Ebooks can be purchased for £5, and can be read on computers, laptops or handheld devices such as PSPs. Books aren't the only things to read electronically: you can introduce your child to a wide range of websites that they'll enjoy, featuring their favourite characters and pop stars.

Subject matter

Whether paper or electronic, it is important to select texts which have content that's interesting and appropriate for your child’s age. There are a growing number of resources available for reluctant and for low ability readers of a variety of ages: these are non-patronising in content but have a manageable, accessible level of English. Although each child likes something different, it is worth asking teachers or other parents for recommendations. At present there are many options on the market including: combinations of fact and fiction (such as Download and Snapshots); dark, gripping fiction (such as The Extraordinary Files and Shadows) or girl- and boy-focused stories (Magic Mates or Mystery Mob).

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