1.Take a trip to the local library and allow your
child to select books of his/her interest. Make such trips a family activity
that everyone can enjoy!
Encouraging dyslexic children to develop an interest in
books, is often the first step to help them overcome the “I-cannot-read”
syndrome. Books with interesting graphics often appeal to children with
dyslexia, as it helps them to decode the meaning of the words, and makes
reading less daunting. There are two types of books to choose from: one that is
appropriate to their reading ability (for independent reading), and one that is
more difficult, for parents to pair-read with their child. A general rule of
thumb for deciding on a book that is appropriate to their ability is the
‘80/20’ rule- if a child can read 80% of the words accurately, on any given
page, the book is deemed appropriate to his/her reading level.
2. Set up a reward chart to motivate them to start reading.
Print out a vibrant-looking reading reward chart, which your
child can use to track the number of books read. The use of such reward charts is
especially useful for children with dyslexia, as the structure and visual cues
allow them to track their progress.
Reward your child with incentives when they have
accomplished a certain number of books. Encourage them along the way in the
form of praise. Model good reading habits yourself and set aside a specific
time each day for reading. Demonstrating that reading is valued and enjoyable,
can allow your child to view reading in a positive light.
3. Take
control of the usage of the television, Internet and the smart phone. Encourage
watching educational shows, visiting educational websites and playing with
literacy based- apps instead.
Other educational websites
include Oxford Owl website (www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Teacher/Index/) which has free audio books based on the Oxford Reading Tree
series. The National Library Board has E-Resources (eresources.nlb.gov.sg) which are accessible to library members. They have a variety
of read-aloud audio books, e-comics and e-magazines which cater to all ages and
appeal to auditory/visual learners.
4. Create a home-environment that encourages
reading via everyday activities. Make reading fun and enjoyable.
Have reading materials readily available everywhere in the
house, and shelves filled with books that appeal to your child’s interest. Set
aside a designated reading corner, preferably a quiet spot, free from
distractions.
Ask your child to help you
with supermarket shopping; read the labels and discuss the importance of good
nutrition. Read out recipes when you bake with your child.
When on the road, read out
the road signs and ask your child to keep a look out for such signs. Read with
your child anything that appeals to them; advertisements, magazines, song lyrics,
biography of their favourite singer/actor/sports player) Encourage them to read up and research on a
topic of interest (sports, music, arts), to be used for dinner-table
conversation topics.
For older kids or
teenagers, read the headlines of local newspapers and summarize the main points
to use as a discussion tool. Watch the local news channel and engage them by asking
for their opinions on local issues, sports news, and entertainment news
(depending on their interest). Allowing them to voice their views and helping
them structure it well can help them improve their expressive fluency.
5. Read with your child everyday, at least 15 minutes a day.
Set aside time everyday to read with your child and make it a
priority. Reading aloud is the single most important thing a parent can do to
prepare their child with the literacy skills they need. Dialogic reading or shared reading is an interactive and engaging
method that is recommended by experts. It uses the PEER (Prompt, Elicit,
Extend, Respond) technique and asks CROWD type of questions (Completion,
Recall, Open–Ended, Wh- questions, Distancing) to elicit understanding. For
details, see http://www.readingrockets.org/article/400/)
Reading aloud with a child is of great importance and reaps many
long-term benefits. This includes a more varied vocabulary, improved grammar,
increased general knowledge and literacy skills. Be encouraging, patient and
gentle in correction, understanding that your child has a learning difference
and he/she may require more time and effort to read.
Read and re-read your child’s favourite books. During the second
reading of the book, ask questions using the 5W1H strategy (Who, What, Why, Where,
When, How). Discussing about the characters (character traits, physical appearance),
story plot (beginning, build-up, climax, resolution and ending) and getting
them to reflect on the lesson learnt/moral of the story is a good way to check
their understanding of the book.
6. Encourage the use of proper grammar, sentence structure and a
varied vocabulary in everyday conversations.
Model good spoken English by speaking good English yourself. Introduce
new vocabulary whenever you see an opportunity, for instance, seeing a very
tall building, you can say “That building has multiple stories and is so high
that it looks like it is reaching the sky. That’s a skyscraper!” Incidental teaching through everyday activities is a
great way for them to learn. Making connections with their personal experiences
and what they have read is important too (e.g. This book reminds me of...).
Play word games (e.g. I spy with my little eye something that …[give clues]) to
help improve word retrieval and expand vocabulary.
For older children, you can encourage “thinking aloud” to build your
child’s higher-order reasoning skills. For instance, when visiting a fast food
restaurant, you can ask “I wonder what they should do to promote better sales
of their burgers?”, and scaffold them by giving some suggestions.
“Parents are a child’s first and most
valuable reader” – Anonymous
Published in DAS Facets Magazine 2013
