Reading with your child

Reading with your child can mean sharing books, stories, rhymes, or any other writing.

You can:

  • Read books together.
  • Tell each other stories.
  • Chat about the things that you have read.
  • Talk about pictures in books.
  • Share stories even when you don't have a book in front of you. Why not re-tell your favourite stories?

Reading for just 10 minutes a day with your child makes a huge difference. 

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10 Top Tips for Reading with your Child at Home

1. Encourage your child to read

Reading helps your child's wellbeing, develops imagination and has educational benefits too. It is a great way to build special memories and moments with your child, and can easily become a favourite part of the day. 

2. Read aloud regulalry

Try to read to your child every day. It's a special time to snuggle up and enjoy a story. Stories matter and children love re-reading them and poring over the pictures. Try adding funny voices to bring characters to life.

 3. Encourage reading choice

Give children lots of opportunties to read different things in their own time - it doesn't just have to be books. There's fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, magazines, recipes and much more. Try leaving interesting reading material in different places around the home and see who picks it up.

4. Read together

Choose a favourite time to read togther as a family and enjoy it. This might be everyone reading the same book togther, reading different things at the same time, or getting your children to read to each other. This time spent reading together can be relaxing for all.

5. Create a comfortable environment

Make a calm, comfortable place for your family to relax and read independently - or together. 

6. Make use of your local library

Visit your local library and explore all sorts of reading materials, borrow books to read at home and take part in different events being run around reading in the library. Gloucester Library has all kinds of different events running which you might enjoy.

7. Talk about books

This is a great way to make connections, develop understanding and make reading even more enjoyable. Start by discussing the front cover and talking about what it reveals and suggests the book could be about. Then talk about what you've ben reading and shre ideas. You could discuss something that happened or surprised you, or something new that you found out. You could talk about how the book makes you feel and whether it reminds you of anything. 

8. Bring reading to life

You could try cooking a recipe you've read together. Would you recommend it to a friend? Alternatively, play a game where you pretend to be the characters in a book, or discuss an interesting article you've read. 

9. Make reading active

Play games that involve making connections between pictures, objects and words, such as reading about an object and finding similar things in your home. You could organise treasure hunts related to what you're reading. Try creating your child's very own book by using photos from your day and adding captions. 

10. Encourage your child in reading in a way that suits them

You know your child best and you'll know the best times for your child to read. If they have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) then short, creative activities may be the way to get them most interested. If English is an additional language, encourage reading in a child's first language, as well as English. What matters most, is that they enjoy it.