How To Help Your Child Become A Strong Reader And Writer

Struggling with how to improve your kid’s reading and writing skills? Masterclass English College can help you solve the problem with the following tips.

1.Common sense and methods for teaching literacy

As educators, we frequently come across views on literacy instruction that skew more towards the functional end of the spectrum. For instance, individuals invest the necessary time in assisting students in learning the fundamentals of reading because they recognize that it is a talent that children must develop.

This typically entails completing a reading curriculum offered by the school in primary schools, particularly in the early years.

It can be extremely stressful to “finish the reading scheme,” which means to go through the numbered or other leveled reading materials as rapidly as you can so that kids can be recognised as independent “readers.” Many kids view this as a process that went well, something to be proud of and feel accomplished about, and they soon embrace the world of words and books with enthusiasm and wonder.

Many people believe that this marks the conclusion of a process. Mission accomplished… task done. In some ways, this impression may be true because it’s typical to witness many kids recite sections from books flawlessly, without missing a beat or pronouncing a word incorrectly.

But when we probe deeper, we frequently discover that this excellent capacity to transform written letters into spoken language might mask a considerably less developed capacity to interpret those words. Sadly, adults frequently stop reading to children at this stage of their education, both at home and in school, so nobody really has a chance to detect that there might be a disconnect there. This can definitely continue throughout the primary years if not stopped.

In the senior school setting, there is a propensity to assume that students have mastered reading and are near the end of their educational journey.

Even though they may have mastered the fundamentals of “how” to read, they still need to work on improving their comprehension skills. This is especially true as they read more complex texts and texts that require them to deduce a greater amount of the meaning for themselves. This will allow them to understand the text on a much deeper level, “read between the lines,” as we say.

At this stage, comprehension truly takes center stage as you will frequently observe pupils reading every word on the page but not necessarily being able to describe what they have read.

If you have a hesitant reader or a child who finds reading challenging during the secondary years, this can actually have a major impact on their attitude toward learning. It’s crucial to keep in mind that proficient reading and writing are necessary across all areas, not simply those in the humanities or English.

We as educators are frequently questioned about utilizing audiobooks as an alternative to reading assigned texts for school since parents struggle to persuade their children to read at this stage in their schooling. Despite the fact that this is a useful strategy, it is crucial that they are utilised to assist students in reading the text rather than to replace it for a number of reasons:

1.Listening does not replace reading and does not improve reading skills on its own since listening and reading require quite different brain processes.

2.It’s important for students to avoid becoming overly dependent on audiobooks because there will be occasions when they need to deal with materials for which there isn’t an audiobook option.

Instead, make sure they are reading along with the audiobook rather than just listening to it, and have talks about the material to make sure they are understanding it, if you decide to use an audiobook to support your kid in reading a school text.

Every subject requires students to be able to comprehend and synthesize material, and given that English is typically required up to Year 12 and that many university programs require a minimum English score for admittance, it is crucial that students develop strong skills in this area.

Naturally, companies strive for effective communicators in almost every sector outside of school.

2.Methods we use at Masterclass for improving the reading and writing skills

Rich texts authored by talented authors, in our opinion, are essential for the growth of powerful reading and writing abilities. We based our English learning classes on them as a result. We carefully select and make an effort to employ texts that appeal to a variety of themes and interests because we feel that engaging with a wide variety of texts helps promote a love of reading.

We make sure that the texts we use offer a variety of narrative viewpoints and that we also highlight various text types that are written for various purposes and audiences.

Writing and reading are essentially two sides of the same coin for us. It’s crucial to perform both as frequently as you can since, by performing one, you are also learning about the other. We provide our students the chance to read and write during the class because of this.

Students can start to comprehend how to apply comparable strategies to their own work by carefully examining how skilled authors have composed and crafted their works, creating intentional impacts and experiences for their audiences.

We go over all the basics of language and punctuation, but we also focus on what constitutes good writing. How authors can make their readers’ reading experiences delightful. Students who are making the transition from primary to secondary school benefit greatly from having a thorough understanding of these strategies.

3. Strategies Primary parents might use to improve their children’s reading and writing abilities at home

The more times that adults read to kids, the better. Families, however, often have hectic schedules, making it difficult to find the time.

The general consensus is that you should read to younger children every day. However, this does not always imply that you should read a lot of text. There are many strategies adults may employ to position kids for success, and even if you just have ten minutes to read, you can accomplish a lot.

Set yourself up to read first, but try to keep the introduction brief—a minute should do it. Discuss the title and the pictures. Read the summary with your child, chat about the author, explain any strange words, read a word here and there while they turn the pages, speak about the characters, and make predictions. Just talk about books for a while.

Encouragement is important after your child begins to read, but refrain from using terms like “good,” “great,” or “growing better” to describe their progress. Instead, compliment your child on the reading techniques they employ by saying something like, “I quite like how you sounded it out when you came to that difficult word.” “I noticed that you reread the portion that didn’t make sense,” or “I really enjoy how you adjusted your voice to be like the different characters in the story.”

Avoid the impulse to correct every mistake as it is made; instead, let your child take their time and remind them of the reading techniques they are familiar with. With the greatest of intentions, parents so frequently instruct their kids that the best reading method is to wait for an adult to read aloud to them.

This is seen in children when they glance away from the paper and toward the adult when they encounter a new word. You should work with your child to develop a variety of reading techniques. Additionally, it’s crucial to remember that while “sounding out” is a useful technique and one of the first ones children learn, it’s not the only one and it isn’t always effective when applied to the English language.

You could think about whether anything sounded right rather than immediately correcting it. Was it logical? Take note of the beginning and finishing noises. Instead of having your child avoid, speed past, or, worst of all, fear mistakes, really teach them to be curious about them.

You really don’t need to read aloud to your child every day if they are reading independently and have progressed to chapter books. This is not to mean that you shouldn’t continue to read aloud to your child or discuss the books they are reading.

You could ask them to discuss their favourite section or a particularly amusing moment. During this stage, you should place a lot more emphasis on comprehending and comprehension, particularly a child’s capacity to “read between the lines.” What message does the author hope to convey through the book? What is the overall picture?

4. Strategies Secondary school parents might use to improve their children’s reading and writing abilities at home

The toughest struggle in the secondary or high school years is frequently just getting them to read at all. We are all aware of how powerful digital and online distractions can be, making reading a book seem like a less appealing option. However, there are several things you may do to combat this.

We also understand the value of taking a break from devices before night; this is the ideal opportunity to wind down with a book. It can be a particularly useful method to encourage pupils to read for 15 to 20 minutes before bed, whether it’s their assigned school literature or something else, and this practice will eventually become habitual.

A nice method to check in and see whether they are understanding what they are reading is to have a follow-up discussion about what they have read. By summarizing the facts for you in their own words, kids are honing a crucial skill.

Asking follow-up questions like, “Have you ever felt like that?” will help them relate what they have read to their own experiences. Students can get more involved and interested in the material by making those connections. Additionally, reading the text aloud to your child might enable you have more in-depth discussions about it and determine whether or not they are comprehending it.

Additionally, it’s important to encourage students to read outside of their assigned school readings. Finding books and publications about a subject your child is interested in—be it sport, the arts, or music—is a terrific approach to accomplish this. Reading becomes far more interesting and enjoyable when you work with your child’s hobbies; it can become a part of their existing interests rather than just something they connect with school.

5.What parents should do to encourage their primary school-aged children to improve their writing

The more writing you do together, similar to reading, the better. And the best part about writing is that you can do it constantly.

Give kids the chance to hear their own written stories read aloud if they enjoy being creative (while you sit back and listen). Pay close attention to what they are saying while you listen. Say something positive about what they did well, such “I liked how you used fascinating phrases like…” “The character you built feels so genuine. I can picture what she looks like. Spelling, punctuation, and grammatical corrections should be saved for when a work is released for a larger audience; but, if it is the only thing that is discussed when youngsters share their creative work, they may become discouraged and put off.

Additionally, bear in mind that as children progress through the primary years, specific errors should be expected. Be patient as it takes time to grasp the specifics of writing.

Writing is still a joyful, interesting, and expressive activity. Grammar and punctuation experimentation is widespread and should be encouraged. Encourage younger kids to express their thoughts one at a time, and if they get the hang of it, to try with more intricate compositions in writing.

There are more options besides just imaginative writing. Draw your child’s attention to how writing is presented when you are out and about, for instance, on brochures, billboards, novels, and in the media – these are all examples of writing for actual purposes. Writing is prevalent and evident everywhere in the world.

Above all, show kids how you utilize writing in your daily life. Make lists for your shopping, leave each other poetry or comments, and write emails, cards, or letters to your loved ones.

6.What parents should do to encourage their secondary school- children to improve their writing

Talking to secondary students about the various types of writing they are doing and the differences between them can help them better understand what they are learning as they participate in longer and more complex writing tasks, from persuasive writing to text response essays, language analysis, and narratives.

While it becomes more difficult in the secondary years, asking them to show you what they are working on and read it aloud to you, as we advised for younger pupils, can help you keep engaged with what they are doing at school.

Again, it’s best to steer clear of any wording that could be construed as criticism because teenagers can be extremely sensitive about their writing and instead highlight its positive aspects.

Inquire about their reasoning for choosing to write what they did and how they used what they had learned in class to their own writing.