Why is my child not interested in reading?

cae Special Education, Special Needs ,
Why is my child not interested in reading?
Along with speech and language, reading is one of the markers of progress and success that parents typically look for in their child’s development. The problem is that the ability to read can vary widely between children, with some being able to read as young as 4 years old, or as late as 7 years old. That is a long time to worry if your child hasn’t learned to read, and even if they can read, some children simply do not have any interest in reading.

 
Interest in reading can be attributed in part to parenting. Parents who read to their children tend to have children who end up picking up reading, and show an interest in reading. Story-telling, developing your child’s language and conversation skills also are strong building blocks for the child to develop strong reading skills. However there are no guarantees, and some children just don’t have an interest for reading.
 
There are many reasons why a child might not read or might not be interested in reading.
 
Environment and Peer Influence
This could be due to distractions and influence from their peer groups or environment. While play is an invaluable development tool for children, it can also be too much. Sometimes children want to continue to play and disregard other things they need to do, like studying, or even entirely forgetting to eat. Many times, instability in their home life may also contribute tremendously to distracting the child. For example, a child whose parents are going through a divorce, or family tragedy.
 
Attention Deficit Disorder
Not all children can sit for prolonged periods to read. Especially children who may have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) may have a really difficult time even showing interest in reading when they might already have difficulties following basic instructions, are having trouble focussing, or getting into trouble with their peers due to poor social skills. If the child has ADD, it is not realistic to expect them to sit still and read.
 
Dyslexia
The child also may have dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that make it difficult for the child to read. Most often, then is associated with people who have an issue reading words backwards, or “the wrong way”. You  might often see that parents and teachers describe the child as highly intelligent, but their disinterest in reading, or their inability to read become a concern as time goes on.
 
It could be environment and peer pressure, or it might be ADD or Dyslexia, or it might be that the child simply has a different way of learning. Keep in mind that some children simply learn differently from others. Some learn by being hands-on rather than through books, as great a resource as they may be. If that is the base, it might be more prudent to ensure the child learns the way that is best suited for them, rather than expecting them to follow any given development path.
 
The Advanced Diploma in Special Education (ADISE) programme will teach you how to diagnose children with special needs, and train you in Intervention Strategies as well as Individual Educational Plans.

CAE’s 12-month Advanced Diploma in Special Education course trains educators and parents in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of these needs and the basic principles and practices of effective teaching and learning. The programme is highly practice-oriented to ensure that what you learn in class can be applied to children with special needs under your charge.

The 6-month Diploma in Education (Special Needs) part-time programme provides an essential introduction to the various categories of exceptional children and educational programmes available. The course will also train you to confidently design and implement an Individualised Education Plan or IEP to aid in specific areas such as language and communications.

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