Ways to Support a Girl Child with Reading Anxiety

Reading anxiety in the Girl child is the phobia the girl child has for sounding words that cause difficulties in reading.

Alphabets and sounds constitute the basis for reading and pronunciation. Hence, reading and pronunciation are the foundation for learning in a society.

The world today expects much of the girl child and to excel in Literacy is one of them. A study has shown that the girl child excels better at Literacy compared to the boy child.

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However, what happens when the girl child is not just challenged in Literacy but has a phobia of it.

Let us review the causes of reading anxiety in the girl child.

Causes of Reading Anxiety in the Girl Child

• Poor Literacy background:          

The girl child develops reading anxiety due to poor literacy background. Learning sounds, digraphs, and blends in the early years plays a huge role in the girl child.

 When these aren’t taught and understood well, it leads to reading anxiety.

• Fear of pronunciation:

The foundation stage is where the girl child learns her sounds. There is a high probability that the girl child exhibited anxiety in her sounds. 

The fear of learning sounds led to reading anxiety.Hence, reading phobia emanates from the wrong pronunciation of words. 

• Fear of being judged and ridiculed: 

when the girl child shies away from reading, she does that to avoid displeasing others. The inability of the girl child to attempt pronunciation may displease her peers.

The child does not want the mockery of her peers.Thence, developing reading phobia.

• Reflection on previous reading flaws:

 Previous flaws can deter the girl child from reading. She could recall a scenario where she got ridiculed by her peers for her inability to read.

• Difficulties recognizing words:

 In developing reading skills, the girl child learns words that are not with the usual sounds. These words are called Sight Words.

Learners recall these words during the reading process. Hence, causing reading anxiety.

• Teachers Teaching Approach

Differentiation learning is paramount in every learning setting. When teachers vary teaching styles to meet the learning needs of all students, it fosters a better learning experience for the girl child.  This can happen if the teacher understands that different kinds of learners would grasp reading styles differently. 

Hence, reading anxiety can result from teachers teaching style or method. 

• Teacher’s Attitude: 

Teachers’ attitudes can sprout from virtues the teacher possesses. The female with reading anxiety would find it discomforting with an impatient teacher. 

Having discovered the causes of reading anxiety in your girl child. Let’s explore various ways to support a girl child with anxiety for reading.

Ways to Support a Girl Child with Reading Anxiety

Read to your Girl child.

Reading to the girl child increases brain and cognitive development. Reading helps learners grasp new vocabulary. 

Also, reading to a child boosts imaginative skills due to the power of imagination new vocabulary learned is retained.

Pay Attention to the girl child.

Reading anxiety doesn’t have to get worse if attention is provided to the girl child.

Close attention to your girl child at the early childhood learning stage is necessary.

When a girl child is facing a reading anxiety challenge, pay close attention at every stage. Take note and document every progress and challenge encountered. 

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Also, it is easier to tackle the girl child’s reading challenge at the early childhood stage. Therefore, proper attention is needed to help the girl child out of reading anxiety early enough.

Practice Reading aloud

Reading anxiety in the girl child connotes a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Encouraging your girl child to read out loud is a way of building confidence in her.

When the girl child reads aloud, you discover punctuation and speech usage.

Change learning environment

Changing your girl child’s learning environment is a good supportive measure. Her learning environment includes;

 School, 

Study room, 

Teacher and

 people around her.

Make learning environment conducive for her.

This will increase her concentration and attention span.

A better learning environment will help her pull through with reading anxiety.

Support the girl child’s effort with positive remarks.

When trying to improve your girl child’s reading performance, watch out for silent improvement. Laud your female child in any reading progress. 

This spurs her to take more steps.

Female children enjoy positive remarks and use them to get reading phobia off her.

Also, avoid negative facial expressions because your girl child is on the lookout.

Train the girl child on the need to be calm

Let your girl child learn to be calm. When you begin a reading exercise with your girl child, try to ease the tense surrounding.

The relaxation technique involves inhaling and exhaling for four minutes.

Show your girl child love.

Reading anxiety for the girl child is a temporary challenge that the girl child will overcome in a short while. The female child needs your love and support.

 Assure her that she is going to come out a great reader. Let her know that she is making progress. An assurance will boost her morale to make much more reading progress. This eliminates reading difficulty.

Change of Teaching Approach

Find out if your girl child’s reading anxiety emanates from the teaching approach. Notify her teacher of your observation and the importance of adjusting her teaching style.

Hence, this shows the extent of interest and involvement in your girl child’ learning.

Hire a Private tutor

Explore the options of hiring a tutor to help your child through reading anxiety. Contracting a private tutor to guide your girl child through her reading process can help eliminate anxiety in your child’s reading. 

A new face can get her relaxed.

Sometimes, the new private tutor may not do so much, but the new tutor can bring the relaxation your child needs.

Hence, hiring a private tutor for your girl child will help develop reading confidence.