In an age of deep digital transformation, we might be forgiven for forgetting the power of reading. The pursuit of knowledge has been superseded by the practice of Googling-it. The art of writing has been substituted by AI-generated texts, and the simple act of reading aloud has given way to talking books. And yet, the reasons for reading prevail.
Just as life copies art, technology imitates fiction. Every recent advance has been portrayed in paint or print, long before it happened. Reading gets you there first. It helps children discover and gain knowledge. It exercises the brain, improves critical focus, and builds memory. In an age focused on well-being and mental health, reading helps human empathy and supports communication. And most of all, it gives pleasure and takes away stress.
Teaching reading is not straightforward. Experts are divided on the best method, with battlelines drawn between supporters of phonics versus advocates of the whole language. Phonics connects sounds to letter patterns, whereas the whole language builds word comprehension through reading.
In the battle’s hallowed ground are the pragmatists who take from each method and go with what works. Whilst systematic phonics instruction lies at the core it is supported by talk on storyline, characters, and meaning.
Children love patterns but are entranced by great stories. Successful reading programs balance the technical with the symbolic, ensuring that great stories have wider appeal; valuing equity, diversity and inclusion, so that all children see themselves in their stories.
And yet, as parents, we remain outside these academic wars. We worry about the progress our children are making at school and at home. Worry turns to frustration and a sense of helplessness.
Worse still, devices dominate children’s lives. Smartphones reduce word stock and pedestal symbolic interaction. In the name of progress, the beautiful phrase, carefully crafted, has given way to the smiley face. Purple prose has given way to ILY, LMU, and RUOK, as character constraints build a world of less is more.
In search of the holy grail of literacy, there are workable ways to help our children become avid readers. These secrets to our success help us to be closer to our children. The formal instruction in letters and sounds, word to phrase to sentence building and levelled reading, comes from professional educators.
They are trained teachers who know what to do. In helping to give our children a love of reading, we are not acting in competition with our teachers but in collaboration. We are not playing the role of backseat drivers, particularly in Dhaka.
Secrets of success
Research shows that parent involvement helps foster a love of reading and is more powerful than other family indicators such as social class, family size, or parents’ level of education. Research shows that where the home sees reading as entertainment, it promotes an intrinsic motivation to read.
Research shows that where books have a special place at home, they are valued by children. Research shows that parent engagement in reading helps children be the strong performers in international assessments (source: OECD); the differences are massive.
So, start by practising what you preach.
Step 1: Have books at home: Picture books, graphic novels, short stories, and adult fiction. Whilst academics note the positive correlation between the number of books at home and attainment at school, these books need to be read and discussed.
Step 2: Go to a bookshop or public library as a family and enter its secret world. Go to a bookshop with a small group of children. Online convenience is no substitute for the magical kingdom of reading which a good bookshop has. Let your child choose their own books as this provokes greater enjoyment and more reading frequency. Pocket money might be supplemented by book-tokens and literacy-related rewards can be given.
Step 3: Read to your child as a regular protected activity. Enjoy stories together. Discuss plots, themes or tricky words. Ask open questions to get your child talking, thinking and creating. Listen to your child reading. Give it quality time. Enjoy these special moments together. Have shared reading time, so that you’re reading as they read.
Step 4: Patience, practice, and praise.
Easier said than done, I hear you thinking. Our next step is to support parents with the time and the resources to help them at home. In doing so, we move forward together.
Simon O’Grady is the Founding Headmaster of Haileybury Bhaluka, Bangladesh’s first outstanding international school. As a skilled communicator, he understands the importance of reading. As the father of three sons, he acknowledges the challenges that parents may face and outlines how to help.