3 activities to try if your child struggles with reading – and they don’t involve sitting down with a book

If your child has trouble with reading, it’s understandable that you might be concerned – or even putting the blame on yourself that you’ve done something wrong, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. 

And you’ve probably tried everything, from an online book club to tuning into Cbeebies bedtime stories, so if you’re out of options, you’ve come to the right place. Children develop at different speeds, and will pick up things such as social skills or learning how to tell the time at their own pace, but reading is a whole other ball game. In fact, research supports that reading doesn’t come as naturally to children as speech would, for example.  Even if they’re trying their hardest, it can be disheartening for you to watch – and knock their confidence – but there are a few things you can do. The paediatric professionals at Sensational Brain, an online resource to help develop education, have devised three exercises you can try to improve your child’s reading skills, to rule out retained primitive reflexes and ocular motor deficits. 

3 activities to try if your child struggles with reading

1. Fly to the moon: In prone, lift arms and legs and visually track thumb nails to the side and back with both arms.
2. Quad with head turns: With visuals attached on either side, read from left to right one item at a time while turning your head so your ears face the floor.
3. Hand held - wall mounted visual tracking: Grab two visuals and attach one to the wall and hold one in hands. Alternate reading one item from the wall, then hands, and repeat as if copying from the board.

In the Instagram post, the experts at Sensational Brain explain: “If your child, clients or students struggle with reading, it’s important to rule out retained primitive reflexes and ocular motor deficits.” In other words, it’s crucial to dismiss whether they may have issues with their eye movements that could potentially contribute to their reading difficulties.

One user commented: “Thank you so much for finally explaining some ways to work on this! A lot of people I see in offices working on these things and I have no idea what to do to help and most people can't access the services.” Another said: “I wish I had this info for my daughter who is now 19.” And other messages of thanks also poured in. The bottom line is go easy on yourself – you’re doing the best you can and some kids will just need more time and practice to improve their reading skills. Find out Kate Middleton’s favourite book to read with Prince George, Louis and Charlotte and discover the best books for toddlers.