OTT 245: Building Confidence: Transforming Your Child's Reading Identity

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What if your child's biggest reading obstacle isn't their skills, but their belief about themselves as readers?

Many children struggle with reading not because they lack the fundamental abilities, but because they've developed a negative reading identity. When kids say "I'm not good at reading" or "books aren't my thing," they're revealing something profound about how they see themselves in relation to text. This identity shapes everything—their willingness to try, their persistence through challenges, and ultimately, their reading success.

This episode dives deep into three transformative strategies that rebuild a child's reading confidence from the inside out. First, we explore the surprising power of genuine book choice—why letting children select anything that excites them (yes, even those "too easy" graphic novels or Minecraft manuals!) creates the autonomy essential for developing reader identity. You'll hear a poignant bookstore story that demonstrates how well-meaning adults can inadvertently crush a child's reading enthusiasm, and learn how to create a "Yes Shelf" that rebuilds reading confidence through easy wins.

We also challenge the myth that read-alouds should stop once children can decode independently. Continuing to read to older children provides them with rich language exposure without the pressure of performance, creates positive emotional associations with books, and strengthens your connection. The final strategy transforms reading from something kids passively endure into something they actively do through makerspace thinking—building, creating, and problem-solving their way into stories.

Ready to help your child discover the reader within? Download our free STEM story station resource and join us on this journey to create joyful, confident readers—one page at a time. Subscribe for weekly tips that bring connection and confidence back to reading, because helping a child believe they're a reader doesn't start with fluency—it starts with how they feel about books.

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