Reading with your child

A child that loves reading often finds school easier, learns better and gets more opportunities. Reading with your child from an early age helps them learn to love reading.

Reading with them will:

• Help them develop good reading habits
• Make it easier for them to read on their own later
• Develop their interest in stories and the joy that understanding words and pictures can bring.

It’s also a great shared experience for you both:

• Together you can look at picture books – which can start a conversation about fears and worries or help your child share their feelings. Great for emotional literacy and social skills!
• The sense of connection and having fun together can really strengthen the bonds between you
• You get a chance to talk about values, choices and cultural identity together
• It promotes good mental health – for you both!

It’s one of those things that feels like it might take up a lot of time – many of us worry “how am I going to fit it in” - and then feel guilty when we don’t manage it! It’s important to remember just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference – and skipping the odd day isn’t the end of the world either.

Some parents might also worry if they can read well enough, or if they are sharing the right books – but there is no right or wrong way to read together. It can even be a good thing for you to learn together.

When your child starts learning to read – they can be really frustrated at not being able to do it. It can take a bit of persistence and patience to make sure it doesn’t turn into a battle.

Take opportunities where you can find them - try setting aside time to read every day - before bedtime, or before breakfast.

You can also read with your child whenever they ask. Talking with your child about pictures in books, magazines, and on digital screens is a good way to start.

Before your child can read

• Use picture books – and spend time discussing the pictures as well as reading the stories.
• Follow your child’s interest – let them pick the story. Even if it’s the same one over and over again!

When your child is learning to read

• Not all children learn to read at the same age or pace. Go at the speed that suits your child. Try not to compare them with your friend’s children or their classmates.
• Make it an invitation to read – not a chore. “Hey, do you want to read this page now?”
• Fit how much you read in one sitting to how tired they are – and let them decide when to stop.
• Praise them for effort ‘Well done! That was a tricky word/sentence, but you kept going!’
• Take turns. You can help out with what they are learning or you can read books they can’t manage themselves yet.
• Explore reading for your own enjoyment. If you show pleasure in reading in some of the moments you get to relax, you’ll be setting a great example.