Introduction

Many parents feel beaten down when choosing a book for a reluctant reader, a reader with a low attention span, or who struggles with literacy. And if books and reading to children becomes a battle for the child, that will inevitably have a negative impact.

Deep Dive

Forcing a child to sit and read with you can result in them being unintentionally dissuaded. A child can become defeatist, meaning reading becomes a chore. They can begin to feel that reading and books are out of their reach and, to them, reading becomes difficult. Before too long, children see books and reading as something beyond their abilities, and the pressure becomes too much.

But thinking outside the box means that there are solutions. There are workarounds, and there is hope. It will take time and depends on the time parents can dedicate to ‘reading time’ in this busy world. But a busy working life does not make this impossible. The important thing here is to find a time that fits in with you, the parent/carer, rather than the child. If you have a particular time slot in your day to focus on books and reading, then you are more likely to be able to keep to that.

So, what to look for when buying picture books for reluctant readers…

• Front cover – For children of school age who are struggling with their sounds and literacy, a title written fully in capital letters can be an instant no! To a reluctant reader who does not know their capital letter (especially if their peers do), the title is nothing more than a frustrating bundle of undecipherable symbols which can result in a book being tossed aside before it's opened.

• The feel – Children with lower attention spans can struggle to sit through a whole story. And a tactile cover can make all the difference. By simply choosing a matte cover over a gloss cover, you can inadvertently peek a child’s interest. Children can often be tactile. They can like the feeling of different materials or have a need to fidget with something while they sit. So, a matte cover between their fingers while you read to them can result in you keeping their attention for longer.

•   Internal layout – Many children like repetition, but when it comes to the layout of picture books, repetition can become tedious to reluctant readers. Instead, try choosing a picture book where the positioning of the text and illustrations varies from page to page. This can feed children’s curiosity and imagination as they wonder what will happen when you turn the page.

•   Work Count – Do not visually overload a reluctant reader with pages littered with text. Start simpler and work up. You can always discuss the illustrations to beef out the time.

Call to Action

Use the tips above and spend ten minutes looking for picture books to grab your child’s attention. Knowing the characters they prefer, their interest and their needs within the level of wording, focus on finding a book that will stand out to them.