How to share your child’s reading book

It is really important to read from your child’s reading book (or another book at the right level) every day. It can seem like a struggle or a chore if your child is unenthusiastic, but try and find the time – your child’s reading skills will blossom for it.

• Before your child starts reading, chat about the cover and title. Talk about what the book might be about.
• As your child reads, get them to pause every now and then. Ask them questions to check that they understand the story so far.
• Listen carefully as your child read. It is quite easy when learning to read, to only focus on the start of the word. Check that they are reading the whole of the word, including any ending such as -ing, or -ly.
• If your child is struggling with a word, help them to break it down into individual sounds, then blend the sounds together. Breaking words down into syllables can also help. With longer or compound words, support children to identify elements of the word they might know or find easier to decode, for instance, rain/ing, kind/est, foot/ball. Cover up part of the word and encourage children to read it in smaller chunks.
• If your child is still struggling, it’s okay to tell them the word.
• Finally, don’t forget that praise is really motivating for children as they read.