Two years ago I tutored a child at their school.The child's mother stated strongly that I should not bother asking the child to read as they did not like to read as they were dyslexic. I said that was fine, and  that I would read to the child. When it was time to attend the library, the child stated that they did not want to go as they did not want to read. Again, I said that was fine. I told the child that I would select books and read to them. I also stated they could wait for me at the entrance of the library.

After a few days of going to the library and the child standing by the door, the child began to step into the library and look at the books. They loved the pictures and would frequently ask me to read. I read to the child everyday. Some days the child read a page,

and some days a few pages. The point is, I made it fun and the child enjoyed and listened attentively to the stories, histories and factual texts. We read both fiction and non-fiction. 

Reading is still one of the fundamental skills that are important for a child. It is the top skill that all Children need to master - no matter which profession they wish to undertake in the future. Children that can read well and comprehend are much better prepared for the fast-paced world we live in. This is why it is so important that all children are given the very best start so they can become fluent and discerning readers.   Read here how reading can help with maths. 

Let them read whatever they want, and it does not have to be a textbook. It does not have to be fiction. The most important thing is that they read. They can read, comics, newspapers, blogs online, cereal boxes, ingredients on the back of food packages, signs - just let them read! Endeavour to get your child to read at least 15 minutes a day - you will soon see a vast improvement in their vocabulary and this can also help with spelling words.  

 Children learn from what they see others do. If they see parents/ carers reading they are more inclined to want to read.  When they see others reading, they’ll start to learn that there must be something enjoyable about reading and begin to emulate you.

Children that read widely learn lots about the world, nature, history, and just have lots of facts they can recite!  Encourage them to read non-fiction as well as fiction.  There are excellent books around that appeal to young children.

There are also plenty of fiction books based on particular historic settings which give a better understanding of history than some text-books. Click here for a list of fictional books to read. 

I understand that some children just don't like reading, but you can just read to them. Children love stories and the more you read to them, the more they will enjoy books. Soon they will endeavour to pick up a book and look at the pictures, then you will see then endeavour to read. This is a wonderful way of drawing families closer and introducing books to children. Reading time should not be educational time. Make it fun and enjoyable. Too many parents feel that this is the time to test their child and so soon they start to hate to read for fear of making a mistake.