Encouraging your Child to Read

Learning to read can be an exciting time for a child, but it can also be very frustrating. The key is to include books in your child’s life from a very young age so that they are comfortable around books and learn to enjoy them with you. This will encourage them to continue trying to improve their skills until they can read unaided. Below are some ideas to help you improve your child’s literacy skills and encourage them to love reading.

1.   As soon as your baby is born you can begin reading to them, as this can be a very soothing and enjoyable experience for your child. Babies love books that are full of colours and textures, such as Ten Little Ladybugs and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, so make sure that you have a good selection available.

2.   Make reading part of your everyday routine so that your child can look forward to story time. A good time for this is before they go to sleep, as you can sit with them in bed and help them to wind down before bedtime.

3.   Interactive stories that include rhymes and repetitive sentences, such as We’re going on a Bear Hunt and Jasper’s Beanstalk, will help your child to learn the story quickly and encourage them to join in, even if they cannot read the words.

4.    You can also try reading stories that contain the same character, such as Winnie the Pooh or Rupert Bear, as your child will enjoy discovering what adventure they’re favourite character is going on today.

5.   Find out what topics your child is looking at in nursery or at school and choose books that relate to these themes. We have an extensive selection of Book Lists on our site that can help you choose some relevant stories.

In order to teach your child to love books you have to lead by example. So if you have no interest in books then your child may see this and think it is the right way to feel. Even if you don’t read very much, make it your mission to read with your child as often as possible.