Read yourself! Set a good example by reading for fun and talking about the reading you do at work and at home. Let your child know that books and reading are an important part of your life.
Don’t stop reading to your child. Some children enjoy being read to long after they are fluent readers themselves.
Visit the library. Take the family to join the local library – it’s free! Make a weekly visit.
Make a time to read. Set aside a time for family reading – after school or before bedtime.
Don’t just read books. Encourage your child to read newspapers, TV guides and magazines.
Talk about books. Talk to your child and their friends about their book preferences. Talk about the books you like to read.
Let your child read with younger children. Encourage them to read to younger members of the family.
Keep in touch with school. Talk with teachers about your child’s reading. They will be able to tell you if your child needs any extra help. Find out which books your child is reading in class and read them as well. You can then discuss them together.
If English is not your child’s first language. You can buy dual language books. You can talk about books and stories in any language.
Spot words inside words. Help them to spot words they know within larger, more complicated words.
Don’t make them try too hard! It doesn’t matter if you have to tell them the word sometimes.
Let them read their favourites. Don’t worry if they want to read the same books again, or stick to one kind of book. If they get really stuck, ask the librarian or teacher to recommend something they might like.
Make the story come to life. Encourage your child to read aloud with expression, so the story comes to life. This will help them more fluently.
Discuss books. Ask your child to tell you about the books they are reading: the type of book, the characters, the plot. Encourage them to have an opinion – was it a good book? Why?
Use a dictionary. Buy your child a dictionary and encourage them to use it to check the meanings of new words.
