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Can't read, Won't read? - story books for dyslexic readers from Barrington Stokes |
Patience Thomson is the founder of Barrington Stokes.
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Selecting books for reluctant readers can be a depressing experience. All too often they are left on the shelf to gather dust or are returned to the library unread. Far from being seen as a pleasurable experience, reading becomes a battle ground where desperate parents resort to bribery or even coercion. So how can children be tempted to read for pleasure? Keep a cool head when choosing a book. Are you going to read it aloud to your child? Or will you be reading it with your child as a shared activity? Perhaps you are expecting your child to read the book independently? In each case different criteria will apply. The importance of reading aloud cannot be overestimated. This will introduce your child to literary language and convention, which can be very different to spoken language. Experts believe that weak language skills often lie at the root of reading difficulties. Reading aloud will broaden vocabulary and familiarize with common figures of speech. Your child can learn from first-class authors the thrill of a tale well told. So choose popular classics like C S Lewis, Roald Dahl and Tolkien. Avoid any books you don't enjoy. Boredom is catching! What are friends reading at school? What favorite television programs have a book to go with them? Consult with your child. You may want an easier book to read with your child taking turns or one that he can read himself if you are nearby to prompt. Look for decent size print. You may need the hardback version of your chosen title. Sample a paragraph. Does the author use a lot of abstract vocabulary? Experience shows that concrete words are much easier to read. If there are more than five words to a page that the child cannot read or understand, the text may be too hard. The sentence structure is even more important. If it is involved, with long sentences and lots of subordinate phrases and clauses it will hinder fluency. Is the text visual? Many reluctant readers will run the story in their head like a video tape. J K Rowling's 'Harry Potter' books are ideal and have switched on the light for many reluctant readers. The biggest problem for emergent readers is to find books that they can read independently. After thirty years of involvement in this field, I know how difficult this is. Texts are too dense, too long, oversimplified or just plain boring. I have every sympathy with the reluctant reader who feels shortchanged and patronized. I have recently been closely involved in setting up a publishing company, Barrington Stoke. Through consultation with our readers, I have learned a great deal about their likes and dislikes. Look for books that are short, well-produced, well-illustrated and by good authors. Enid Blyton, however controversial, has proved to be the catalyst for many reluctant readers. Try modern children's writers like Vivian French, Terry Deary and Michael Morpurgo. When you discover what your child likes get more of the same. Good luck and good hunting! Parents who would like to find out more about encouraging their child to read can get a free Barrington Stoke Parent Pack including helpful information, tips, a poster and bookmark. (This offer is only open to parents in the United Kingdom.) Please send an A4 sized SAE with a 66p stamp to:
Barrington Stoke Parent Pack Only one pack per request can be supplied. However, Barrington Stoke hopes to have a selection of information from the Parent Pack available for Internet users to download from its website later this year. Check the website for more information www.BarringtonStoke.co.uk or ring on (+44) 0131 315 4933.
Juliet Freud reports on the range of stories available from Barrington Stoke. 'Runaway Teacher', 'Virtual Friend' and 'Bicycle Blues' were the first titles to catch my eye as I looked through the amazing series of books for reluctant readers produced by this innovative publisher. The titles grab your attention immediately: ''Eddie in the Zedlines', 'What's going on, Gus?', 'Living with Vampires', and 'Problems with a Python'! The series of books has been written - by a variety of authors - to fill that gap when children with difficulties learning to read are beginning to make a start but find that most books are either written with younger children's interests in mind or are beyond their ability. The 'interest level' of Barrington Stokes books is aimed a few years above the reading difficulty level: stories, for example, which would interest 12-year olds, are written using words that a child with a reading level of 8 or 9 would be able to follow. In designing this wonderful series, Patience Thomson has looked at reading from the dyslexic child's point of view. The pages are printed in off-white paper to avoid the glare that a lot of dyslexic children experience from a white page. Chapters are short, and the print is spaced out clearly, with breaks between lines of dialogue. Illustrations are detailed, evocative and an integral part of the story. The sentence structure is clear and direct. Patience Thomas has designed her own font which is based on the natural style of handwriting. The books themselves are light and will slip easily into a youngster's pocket. Most important, her company, Barrington Stoke, uses experienced and award-winning authors who know how to write a gripping tale. In 'Screw Loose', by Alison Prince, Roddy discovers how useful a screwdriver can be. In his hands it becomes a tool for taking the whole school apart. This is great fun for him, but putting everything together again proves even more interesting! Titles for 8-13 year olds (with a reading age of 8+) include:
No Accident, by Lesley Howarth. Titles for Teenagers (also with a reading age of 8+) include:
Playing Against the Odds, by Bernard Ashley. Information about their whole range of over forty books is on their website: Barrington Stoke .
These excellent books are highly recommended
for children aged between 8 and 16, and represent a major contribution to
the body of resources available to dyslexic readers. Excuse me while I find
out what became of the runaway teacher!
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