Helping a poor reader gain confidence

The problems faced in school by a child who can't read are serious. As children progress through primary or elementary school, they need to be able to read more and more.

Therefore a failure in reading can lead to a failure in school generally and a low self confidence.

But here's something you can do:It's never too late to start learning to read - even for adults. It may seem difficult, so we have put some ideas here to get you started.

Get talking: get your child talking about an interest or hobby - be interested and take notice of the language they use. Let them teach you about a topic - this is a great confidence builder.

Make a Book: Suggest that this would make great information for a book and that you will make one together. One of the biggest motivators for children is publishing their work and sharing the finished product.

Tape the child's talk: For the text of the book, tape the child's talk, then print or type out the words, just as they were presented. Keep the tape for future reference.