Top Tips For Reading with Your Child at Home

As we all know, there is a lot more to reading than just reading. Here are some tips to help during reading sessions with your child at home.

• Read 10 minutes every night with your child.
• Discuss the illustrations. What do they think is going on? Why?
• Predict what may happen? What would be good/bad etc.
• Make up alternative endings.
• Discuss what your child’s likes/dislikes are about the text.
• What did we learn from the story? Was there a moral, did it give them any information? Was it factual or a fiction story?
• Can you change your voice for all the characters?
• Be guided by your child’s interests- Read your own stories as well as school books.
• Become an explorer- Read fact, fiction, rhymes, poems, picture books.
• Ask questions about the story.
• Discuss the sequence of events. Can you recall the events?
• Most important keep it short, enjoyable and fun

You do not always have to read the entire book every night. Focus on 2 pages and talk about the characters, setting, and plot in a lot of detail. You might want to take it in turns to read so your child can hear how you read.