Setting Your Child Up For Success by Nicola Burkitt

The world of being a parent is all-consuming. Fulfillment, playfulness, curiosity, kindness, patience, and excitement is often mixed with feelings of uncertainty, stress, tiredness, and guilt. Today the world is immersed with improving the lives of those around us, with the inherent goal of improving the future for our children. We not only need to consistently try to be the best person we can be, we need to be the best parent we can be, whilst continuing to be informed on what is plaguing society, as the world changes (especially during COVID-19 times). Furthermore, parents are expected to learn how to be a teacher, whether or not you are homeschooling your children. The weight of it all can be a little exhausting…

As a Year 2/3 teacher following a Primary Teaching Master’s Degree, and being a mother of two… well my hands are full, as I assume many of yours are. The overwhelming pressure to maintain equilibrium as a mother, worker, and contributor to society is frankly inspiring but at times, overwhelming. According to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (Victorian State Government, n.d), the most influential action we can take as a parent, is simply assisting our children to read. This can impact a child’s development, how they progress in school, and their lifelong success… as reading fluently, can lead to comprehension that is required for children to learn. As parents, we read to our children on a daily basis, or at least a few times a week, as busy schedules and life’s pressures can make finding the time a little difficult. 

Students within the primary school cohort, are collectively behind and are struggling to meet the benchmark requirements of the curriculum, evidently within the learning area of Literacy. Children must learn to read; it is the foundation for comprehension and life-long success. Whether you are home-schooling, or you would like to learn how to best support your child throughout early childhood and primary-aged years, then read further below for 9 simple tips you can do at home to improve your child’s reading level, and overall positively influence their learning. 

• The 5 Finger Rule:
  Let your child choose a book that interests them; they need to be engaged to learn. Use the 5 Finger Rule by opening the book to any page, and asking your child to read aloud. Put a finger in the air (on one hand) each time they do not know a word. If you reach 5 fingers, it is too hard, so let your child choose another book and repeat this simple step. This ensures the book is appropriate to their reading level. A book should not be too easy or too hard; this step helps find that balance.

• Set a Routine:
  Choose a comfortable place, such as a bed or couch, where no distractions (television for example) will impede the reading process. It can be indoors or outdoors; try to make it a routine place and time that works for the family’s schedules. Siblings are encouraged to join; make sure everyone is involved!

• Ease Into the Book:
  Look at the front cover of the book, and ask your child questions such as: what do you think this book is about? Ask your child to verbalise what they see using the pictures and clues from the title. Read the blurb, and ask if their predictions have changed.

• Be the Guide:
  Encourage your child to try solve ‘tricky’ words by using these simple strategies: stretch out the word, sound out the word, or look for chunks in the word that they do know.

• Make it Fun:
  Reading should be fun, not a dreaded process each day. There are ways to make it fun, such as reading a page each, dressing up whilst reading, using readers theatre, getting the whole family involved, or asking your child to follow as you read.

• Comprehension:
  We read to essentially learn and understand something; this is the basis for comprehension. Assisting the development of comprehension involves asking lots of questions both during the reading process, and after. During reading, stop and ask questions such as: what do you think will happen next? After reading, ask your child what their favourite part of the story was and why? What did they learn? What went wrong? Who was the good guy, bad guy and why?

• Once is Not Enough:
  The chaos of life can interrupt routine activities, but it takes time and lots of repetition to learn something new. For example, learning a sport or how to cook takes practice; learning to read takes practice. Setting a routine will assist in keeping up, with even just 10-minutes of reading a day.

• Read Aloud to Your Child:
  Keep reading to your child, even once they are an independent reader. Reading to your child improves their skills in reading, writing, comprehension, and also builds their confidence.

• Extend Vocabulary:
  Choose a word from the book, and discuss the meaning of the word. Extending a child’s vocabulary promotes the ability to utilise the meaning of that particular word, into other texts.

These 9 tips to assist your child to read, can improve their success throughout their school-years and thereafter. We are all trying to balance parenthood, being a teacher to our children in different ways, and balancing other responsibilities. Simply reading with your child each day, and understanding how to assist in an effective way, will have a profound impact on your child. 

Nicola Burkitt (@nikkidb1995) is a Primary Teacher / Writer. The aforementioned tips are explored in depth during a free-workshop ‘Reading Tips for Parents’ presented by Nicola Burkitt/ Samm Burkitt within Perth, Australia. For workshop presentation requests at a local school, or for more information please email nicolaburkitt95@gmail.com