Reading with a child often brings pleasure to no one. Children find it uninteresting / boring / difficult / simply do not understand why they should spend time on books.
Parents become anxious, unsure how to explain the value of reading.
Parents become anxious, unsure how to explain the value of reading.
How to resolve this issue in an environmentally gentle way
My daughter is 8 years old. She refuses to read aloud. But school requires it!
How can I help my daughter overcome this barrier, and which type of reading is actually more beneficial?
How can I help my daughter overcome this barrier, and which type of reading is actually more beneficial?
If your child has already mastered the basic reading skill, it is certainly desirable for them to read both silently and aloud, because each type of reading has its own advantages and they do not replace one another.
Silent reading develops visual and associative memory, actively engages imagination, and fosters intuitive literacy — the visual perception of correct spelling is fixed in memory at a subconscious level.
However, only through reading aloud does a child learn to recognize semantic emphasis in a text, use sounds, intonation, and stress, and work on diction and expressive speech.
Gradually, speech becomes richer, confidence in expressing thoughts grows, and emotional intelligence develops.
Gradually, speech becomes richer, confidence in expressing thoughts grows, and emotional intelligence develops.
There is an effective way to combine both methods:
-
a parent can record a chapter or part of a chapter on a voice recorder using their own voice - for no longer than 10 minutes
It is important to use enthusiastic intonation, pause at unfamiliar words, add humor to the voice, invest emotion in the reading, and articulate words clearly.
This approach can encourage a child who prefers silent reading to become interested in the sound of the written text firstly.
Later, you can record joint tracks together, then listen to them and discuss the expressive means used in the story.
Later, you can record joint tracks together, then listen to them and discuss the expressive means used in the story.
My son Sergey has a favorite book, "The Wizard of the Emerald City". I read it to him when he was 6 years old.
Now he asks me to reread it again and again. I offer other books with similar plots — he refuses, and I am already tired of reading the same thing.
Now he asks me to reread it again and again. I offer other books with similar plots — he refuses, and I am already tired of reading the same thing.
In our fast-paced world, full of hustle and anxiety, it is very important to pay attention to whether your child feels inner calm.
- One of the primary reasons children ask to hear the same book repeatedly is the need to confirm a sense of reliability and safety.
Children vitally need to feel support and stability, and they often find this in repetitive actions. A familiar ritual, such as repeatedly reading a favorite book, can help organize a child’s inner chaos and bring a sense of clarity and stability.
- Another reason is the desire to fully understand the plot — something especially valuable in our time.
Psychological research has shown that for a child to fully analyze a story and draw their own conclusions, they need to hear the entire work at least 30 times.
And most importantly, "The Wizard of the Emerald City" is a treasury of timeless values such as friendship, faith, hope, and resilience.
The fairy tale features many vivid characters, each with their own personality, emotions, and story. This work invites parents and children to jointly discuss the plot and analyze the characters' actions.
If you gradually walk Ellie’s entire path together with your daughter, discussing and reflecting on it, your child will be able to transition easily to new books while keeping the main lessons of this story in their heart.
My daughter is 6 years old and she will start school next year. She reads very poorly, not by syllables, but by individual letters. For example, she reads the word "mother" letter by letter, adding one letter at a time. She attends developmental classes with great enthusiasm.
Perhaps this is related to the fact that she started speaking late, around the age of three. But I worry that she will fall behind at school, since all children start well prepared.
Perhaps this is related to the fact that she started speaking late, around the age of three. But I worry that she will fall behind at school, since all children start well prepared.
In this case, it is worth paying attention to the development of the so-called symbolization skill: the ability to perceive letters as elements that combine into syllables and sounds. This skill, in turn, develops on the basis of more fundamental abilities, such as symbolic play and visual-art activities.
Instead of focusing exclusively on teaching reading, it is helpful to take a step back and immerse the child in the world of symbolic play in order to develop cognitive skills and mental flexibility.
This type of play expands imagination and serves as a bridge to more complex intellectual processes, such as reading.
During play, children acquire the ability to create different "life scenarios" for the same object: a cardboard box can become a car, a towel can turn into a doll’s blanket or a tablecloth, and letters, by analogy, can become unified words.
The ability to see new meanings and connections behind a "symbol" is key to fully mastering reading skills.
The ability to see new meanings and connections behind a "symbol" is key to fully mastering reading skills.
Equally important for progress, surprisingly enough, is intentional drawing with attention to detail and compositional context.
For example, if a child draws a flower, does it have leaves? Is it growing among grass? Are there other flowers nearby? Is the sun shining?
Creating scenarios in play and adding detail in drawings are important cognitive skills that can significantly speed up and ease the process of learning to read.
My son is 7 years old and he is starting first grade. He learned the alphabet back in kindergarten, but we still can’t teach him to read. Neither at school nor at home does he want to read. At the very mention of the word "reading," he becomes upset and aggressive.
And yet my husband and I always set an example — we read ourselves.
And yet my husband and I always set an example — we read ourselves.
I would like to share one idea with you that may be helpful in finding a solution to your problem.
Learning to read and then developing this skill is possible when there is an experience of joy associated with the process. We parents often carry anxiety hidden behind the question: "Why doesn’t my child read?"
If he doesn’t read, he might become illiterate / If he doesn’t read, his grades will be low / If he doesn’t read, he won’t get into a good school or university / If he doesn’t read, he won’t be interesting among educated peers.
Learning to read under such pressure is, of course, very difficult. "Being able to read" becomes important — BUT NOT JOYFUL.
Healthy food is important for a child’s body, but as we all know, children still ask for unhealthy sweets from time to time. The same applies to books: it is clear that reading is useful, but it is by no means joyful by default.
There are several methods, which I find interesting, that can encourage curiosity and interest in reading in preschool and early elementary school children.
1
Creating a home-made book
It is created at home by the whole family. Here are a few ideas for themes:
1
A book about the child themselves and their interests (idea: add real photos and write captions together)
2
A book about favorite dishes (idea: draw them and describe their names and tastes)
3
A book about a dream (idea: express it vividly using photos, stickers, captions, and drawings)
4
A book about a dream profession
Of course, this activity requires time from parents. But based on my own parenting experience, I can say that when you manage to involve a child in an engaging "journey" where they experience joy, we adults ourselves become like children. And this shared experience is priceless.
2
A message for the day or a wish for the night (in two formats at the same time)
Buy beautiful postcards, write a linguistically simple wish or sentence on them, and record the identical message on a voice recorder. The child will listen with interest and compare what they hear with what is written.
3
Working with a favorite children’s song
If such a song exists, it is wonderful to rewrite the chorus, perhaps decorate it nicely, and sing it together.
In this way, the child naturally participates in the process of learning syllables and combining them into words — by singing and observing, pronouncing familiar sounds and seeing how they are represented by letters.
In conclusion, I would like to recall a beautiful quote: "Parents give children roots and wings."
In our discussion, roots are the creation of a family book, letters, and songs. Roots are about cultivating in a child a sense of trust and safety, about showing genuine interest in them as a person.
Wings are about support, attention, love, and faith in the child’s abilities.
Wings are about support, attention, love, and faith in the child’s abilities.
I wish all of us parents patience and at least a little childlike spontaneity that carries us into the world of childhood.
Invite Elina Landman
as a speaker
as a speaker
To request Elina Landman as a speaker for your upcoming event, please feel free to reach out via email: mail@landmanelina.com.
Elina looks forward to the opportunity to contribute to the success of your professional forum and engage with your audience in a meaningful way.
Elina looks forward to the opportunity to contribute to the success of your professional forum and engage with your audience in a meaningful way.
CONTACT
Fill out the form and or contact me
via the contacts below.
via the contacts below.
By clicking on the button, you consent to the processing of personal data and agree to the privacy policy