Being able to read is awesome and unlocks opportunities in learning, having fun and building careers. But for individuals with dyslexia, especially children, they may not feel this way. So how can we as parents motivate them to read? Read on to find out more.

Before my daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, for a number of years she would consistently tell my wife and I that she ‘hated reading’. Strong words, but this is what she said. Weirdly, at the time, given that my own experience of reading was never positive, I just accepted this as normal for a 10 year old girl and that she would probably find her way forward. How wrong was I !

The reality was that her dyslexia presented a barrier to learning because she couldn’t process the text from a printed page. The text literally made no sense to her and to read out loud was embarrassing. It was even more strange then that her school said that they expected my daughter to pass her G.C.S.E’s and felt that her challenges were not great enough to warrant support being put in place.

That was ten years ago and now in 2022 the UK Government in a recent white paper stated that In 2019, 35% of pupils did not meet the expected standard in all of reading and writing at key stage 2. The same white paper stated that it is estimated that if 90% of children leave primary school at the expected level for reading and writing then it could be worth at least £30 billion to the UK economy.

There are many statistics that indicate why it is important for our children to enjoy reading, but of course for a child of 10 years old, these may not be compelling enough for them to engage with getting support or talking about their challenges so that they can find a way to enjoy reading again.

What are the benefits of reading?

According to the BBC, being able to read helps one to develop emotional intelligence as one gets to understand different perspectives and motivations. The BBC went on to say that mental stimulation from reading can help to delay the onset of dementia later in life as it helps to keep the brain active.

Reading is also thought to improve confidence and self-esteem and can provide the grounding needed to pursue goals and make life decisions. It can also help to boost healthy sleep and reduce feelings of loneliness.

This is all great but some children with dyslexia are terrified of reading.

So how can we as parents help our children to re-engage and love reading again?

On April 28th at 7pm , I will be joining my friends at Succeed With Dyslexia on a panel discussion about the benefits of reading and what we as parents can do to encourage our children to develop a love of reading. During the panel discussion I will be exploring some ideas for helping our children to enjoy reading more.

If you would like to join me then click the banner below to register your place.