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.