How to improve your child’s reading level
Last year's report from the National Literacy Trust found only 1 in 5 (20.5%) of 8 to 18-year-olds chose to read in their free time—the lowest level since 2005. With daily reading levels decreasing by 7.5%, we look at how to improve your child's reading levels.
Reading enjoyment levels have decreased by 8.8 percentage points over the past year alone. Yet, children and young people who enjoy reading have higher average (mean) standardised reading scores than children and young people who don't.
Those who love reading will know that reading is not just a good way to fill the time. It also has significant and far-reaching benefits such as:
1. Vocabulary expansion.Reading exposes students to new words, helping them build a richer vocabulary.
2. Better spelling and grammar. Regular reading reinforces correct spelling, sentence structure, and grammar usage and increases retention of these elements.
3. Enhanced expression. Exposure to different writing styles and techniques improves students' ability to express themselves clearly.
4. Reading comprehension. Those who read can understand and interpret texts more efficiently.
5. Analytical skills. Engaging with complex texts encourages students to analyse, evaluate, and draw conclusions.
6. Better performance across subjects. Strong reading skills help students understand word problems, follow instructions, and grasp complex concepts in textbooks and on exam papers.
7. Sustained attention span. Reading requires focus, which helps students develop an ability to concentrate for more extended periods.
8. Brain development. Reading stimulates brain activity, improving cognitive functions like reasoning, imagination, and creativity.
How devices can stop children from reading
Researchers are currently studying how prolonged exposure to screens and devices affects a child's ability to read and understand texts.
Reading requires the brain to connect visual attention (seeing letters) with phonological processing (understanding sounds). This connection takes time and practice, usually developing between kindergarten and year 2.
Too much screen time at the early stages of reading and even into adulthood disrupts this process. This is because screens provide fast-paced, distracting content, making it harder for children and young people to focus on slower, more detailed tasks like reading.
This also makes them less likely to develop what's known as reading stamina.
How to increase reading stamina
The good news is you can help a child increase reading stamina at any age, which is good news as improving reading ability is essential for academic success.
Rather than banning devices, encourage reading for a set amount of time, slowly extending it over weeks. Begin with short reading sessions (e.g., 10-15 minutes) and gradually increase the time as stamina improves.
Match your child's level and help them select books on topics they love to keep them engaged and motivated. These could be fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, newspapers, poetry, or prose. Then, as their skills improve, introduce more challenging reading.
Even if your child can read independently, try to read together regularly. This will enable you to explain unfamiliar words to improve understanding and confidence, discuss the text, check comprehension, and encourage critical thinking.
Tackle focus and comprehension
Training young minds to focus isn't easy. Reading requires a sustained, active focus where you concentrate on the written text while actively processing its meaning. This means staying engaged with the content throughout the process is crucial, something many children struggle with.
What can help here is to pair audiobooks with the books they are reading to help them follow along. You can also engage them with the ideas and concepts presented in the book, making connections with them to engage them more fully in what they are reading.
Again, build focus with short bursts of reading followed by a discussion to gauge comprehension. Some children easily read without actively trying to understand what they are reading, especially if they are not used to thinking critically about the text. Finding a book they like and actively working with them on it can help change this.
Explaining unfamiliar words and encouraging your child to use them in sentences can also help build their reading stamina and vocabulary. Model this behaviour by looking up words yourself while reading together and explain the benefit of expanding vocabulary.
Seek support when needed
Children learn to read in different ways and at differing speeds, but if you are worried, talk to your child's teacher about how your child is doing at school and how you can support this at home.
If they are older and you suspect their reading level isn't where it needs to be, discuss with teachers your concerns around their reading level and comprehension, especially regarding how they answer examination questions.
A tutor can also help here with bespoke assessment, personalised support, and guidance on the above strategies, as well as, for older students, analysis of exam questions and what the examiner is looking for.