My second grader is terrified of reading in front of his class. He doesn’t struggle with reading at all. In fact, he reads aloud at home quite often and tests above average for his reading skills. He just doesn’t want to read in front of his class. How can I help him overcome that fear?
Whenever a child encounters a difficult situation in school, it is helpful for families and school staff to work together to support the child. The first thing to do is arrange a meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss things. Although your child is a skilled reader, this is a new skill for your child, and performing a new skill in front of an audience can feel very daunting. Reading in front of his peers might be something that develops naturally in time without formal intervention for your child.
One suggestion would be to remove the pressure from your child. It isn’t a necessary skill for a second-grader to read in front of their class at this age. The focus should be on developing their emerging reading skills and fostering a love of literature. Visit the library, read books about preferred interests, and practice phonics skills. Avoid creating a negative association between reading and the pressure to do so aloud in front of groups.
If you want to think of small ways to gently “stretch” your little one out of their comfort zone regarding reading in front of an audience, at home, you could get them to read with an extended family member in the room. School might wish to consider encouraging your son to speak in front of his peers in other ways, like through Show and Tell or small group learning activities. The school could create opportunities for your child to read in front of one or two peers. Invite your child to read aloud and give the very clear message that it is okay if they don’t yet feel ready to do so. Recognize that as their experience of reading increases, their willingness to do so in front of their peers may emerge naturally.
