Reading - What's the hullabaloo?

The evidence for the benefits of reading for pleasure in primary-school-aged children is overwhelming. It is proven (by multiple studies globally) to be the single biggest predictor of academic outcomes at all stages of a child’s academic life. Yes, more than any maths you can practise with your child! In fact, it is also proven that good reading outcomes underpin maths ability – not through coincidence (“a bright child will be good at both”) but the process of reading development actually enables the process of maths cognition. 

Most parents assume that once a child has learned the basics of reading they are best left alone to read. However, it remains crucial for children to read with an adult right through primary school. The manner in which you read with them will change through the years to become more turn-taking and even simply reading your own books side-by-side. But the experience of reading with family members remains calming and comforting and maintains an interest in reading by choice, for enjoyment.
 
Before I offer some ideas of how to keep your child reading by choice, here are a few facts and figures about its impact.

• Children who read books often at age 10 gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16 than those who read less regularly. (This remains true even if they stop reading for pleasure after age 10!)
• 10 year-olds who enjoy reading have a reading age 1.3 years higher than their peers who do not enjoy reading, rising to 2.1 years for 12 year-olds and 3.3 years for 14 year-olds.
• 15 minutes of reading a day exposes a child to more than one million words in a year.
• Only 35% of 10-year-olds in England report that they like reading 'very much'. This lags behind countries like Russia (46%), Ireland (46%), New Zealand (44%), and Australia (43%).
• Reading for pleasure increases literacy skills at a greater rate than formal literacy lessons!
• Reading for pleasure enhances empathy, understanding of the self, and the ability to understand one's own and others' identities. 
• Reading also brings benefits for mental health. Childhood is the beginning of a lifelong journey of navigating stresses and self-regulation of feelings. Multiple studies support the importance of reading for both children and adults in coping with life. 

You can support your child in their reading at home in the following ways.

• First and foremost, please keep reading with your child right up until Year 6. It only need be a few minutes once per week for older ones, but it has a huge impact on their willingness to read independently. I have experienced many rolled eyes from both Y6 children and their parents when I have suggested this…until they try it! More than once, a sceptical parent has come back to me feeling quite emotional as they thought those years of sharing a book had passed.
• Read yourself! It doesn’t need to be a children’s book (although many are very rewarding and I’m as happy to lend a book to a parent as a child). Just seeing you prioritise reading will encourage your child to do the same.
• Get lost with them in a good bookshop or the library. I regularly forget about life in the children’s section of Waterstones Piccadilly. The summer reading challenge in the library keeps motivation up and prevents ‘summer slide’ (where children return to school in September having forgotten some of their learning from the previous academic year).
• Be mindful of their reading choices as they progress. Books like Tom Gates, Captain Underpants, Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid have their place in bridging the gap for some children from short chapter books to accepting longer books. Let them enjoy that part of the process for a few months…but then move them on. Once they can read these at speed, they are ready to try something else. If, like me, you have found yourself nagged for another Dog Man book in the bookshop that you know you will spend £7 on and will have been finished before you even reach home, let them read that one in the bookshop but buy something with more longevity!
• Have a regular reading time. Routines reduce resistance and form good habits.
• Encourage siblings/cousins to read together. It helps both the younger and older child. Reading to a younger sibling can boost a child’s self-confidence and communication skills.
• All reading counts! Menus, instructions, recipes, road signs, subtitles on the TV…
• Try audiobooks – these allow children to experience a book above their own reading level (and can make for more interesting car journeys). Listening to a story over and over again can improve vocabulary and encourage deeper comprehension.