Personality

Child shyness not only affects how a child approaches reading hard words, but also how parents respond when helping them read. Parents are usually overprotective of shy children, but this can negatively affect shy children's reading abilities and can cause them to fall behind non-shy children.

Don't just tell your child the word they are having trouble with. Allow them to sound it out.

Do give children time to go at their own pace and reassure them that it's okay to make mistakes.

Don't overly rely on context clues. This doesn't help your child learn for themselves.

Characteristics of Shy Children vs. Non-shy Children

    • Shy Children
        • Instead of trying to read difficult words by themselves, they usually pause or ask a parent for help
        • May be more embarrassed to be wrong
        • Parents tend to tell them the word without first providing clues
    • Non-shy Children
        • More likely to attempt to read the difficult words
        • Parents are more likely to encourage the child to read the hard word by themselves, and less often provide the word to the child
        • Parents help them by giving them strategies
    • This difference in how parents help shy and non-shy children can:
        • Make shy children feel less confident in their reading abilities
        • Reduce shy children's agency in reading

Parents and Teachers Should Encourage Shy Children to Read

How can we help shy children reach their full potential? Parents and teachers should encourage them to practice! Here are a few ways you can do this:

    • Wait for shy children to respond before giving answers.
    • Encourage them to read at their own pace.
    • Let them know it is okay to make mistakes.
    • Give them chances to talk in class.
    • Provide constructive feedback:
      • Ask them to sound the word out.
      • Cut the word into smaller parts.
      • Help them with the sounds of individual letters, or harder sounds like "ch" and "thr"