Try At Home: Reading Strategies

In order for a child to develop good reading (and writing) skills, it is important that their speech and language skills are progressing well. Strong literacy skills are linked with academic achievement and long-term quality of life.

General Strategies

Choosing the right book

There is no hard and fast rule around which book is right for your child, it is often dependent on your child’s readiness and skills in reading.
If you have a younger child or someone who is starting to read, it is recommended to find books with more pictures and less words.
Speak to your local library about suitable books.
If you child is speaking and learning different languages, encourage reading books in that language.

Encourage Interactions

Joint attention is important when reading:
- Sit at your child’s eye-level, let your child interact with the books, touch and talk about the pictures (you do not have to stick strictly to the storyline).
When point to pictures (or to words), sound out the parts of the words, e.g. “the snake is sss-sliding” or “it’s a cat! C-a-t” (make the letter sound rather than spell, e.g. “c” makes a /k/ sound).
Avoid asking too many questions (and testing your child) – it is more efficient to model the words and language so they can hear the words and learn it, e.g. “look! It’s a big and brown bear!”
Re-read the book – each reading will bring different experiences and your child can build their narrative skills.

Building Fun and Routine

Keep this activity an enjoyable part of your day,
Make it fun – talk about the characters, play games, use silly voices and sounds.
Read for as long as your child is engaged.
Set a regular time each night to read.
Build a good relationship between your child and books – do not force your child to read if they refuse, instead, make it fun or play a game with a book and invite your child to join.
Encourage reading in everyday situations, e.g. at McDonalds, point to the big M sign and say “that’s an M, it makes an mmmm sound.”

Speechie Library Talk

Every year, libraries around Australia engage with speech pathologists in running a Speech Library Talk to support libraries and families to learn about literacy and language. For more information or to find out about upcoming talks in your area, see here: Speechie Library Talks

Thanks for reading this post. Feel free to provide any feedback by sending us a message.