My daughter struggles with reading; how can I help her?

My daughter is nine and is still not a confident reader. She struggles to sound out new words and often doesn’t understand stories because she’s concentrating so hard on reading the words. The teacher doesn’t seem to have time to hear her read much in school but I listen to her read most days. What else can I do to help?

It’s not surprising that your daughter is not enjoying reading as she is finding the mechanics hard work and therefore can’t focus on enjoying the story. It is never a good feeling to lack confidence or feel you are falling behind. Remember though, other children in her class may show an impressive level of decoding when reading aloud, but some simply “bark” at the text and have very little understanding. Comprehension is the key to being a competent and enthusiastic reader.

A recent British study of 60,000 children showed that one in 10 girls had severe reading difficulties by age 10, and 19 per cent scored poorly in comprehension tests. It was noted that the focus schools often place on helping boys to improve their reading skills may mean that girls sometimes get overlooked and are better at hiding their problems than boys, who more often display behaviours that come to the teacher’s attention.

Once children are older, there is less emphasis on teachers or assistants hearing individuals reading aloud. However, some children still need to develop skills and fluency in the upper primary years. Definitely discuss your concerns with your daughter’s teacher and explore the possibility of her receiving extra help. The teacher will be able to tell you how reading is assessed in the school and will also be able to advise you about how to effectively support her at home. Online reading activities and interactive games, for example, may help to motivate her.

You are doing the right thing by reading with her as often as possible; frequent practice is crucial. This can be difficult if your daughter is resistant, so keep the sessions short and enjoyable. Pick a time during the day when she is not too tired. Repeated reading of the same text can be a good way of developing confidence and fluency. Sometimes, when she comes across a difficult word, tell her the word to avoid interrupting the flow of the story, or encourage her to think about the context in order to help her read it. Another good strategy is to take turns reading a page each to take the pressure off her and provide a good role model for fluency and expression.