Reading With Your Child
Foundation Stage
When and Where?
- Choose a time convenient to both of you
- Choose a comfortable, quiet place where you will not be distracted
- Try to have a regular time each day
- About ten minutes each day often works better than longer sessions less frequently
- Smile and give lots of praise—reading can be very hard work for children
Remember that helping your child to read is not ‘cheating’, but will help them to enjoy the experience!
When reading together…
- Read the title and discuss what the book could be about
- Encourage your child by helping them to point to each word as it is spoken
- Read along with your child, especially in the early stages
- Make predictions about what could happen next
- Discuss favourite characters and retell the story
What should I do if my child gets stuck?
- Look at the first sound and see if it will give your child a clue
- Look at the pictures—these can be very helpful in giving clues to the reader
- Sometimes read the word to your child
- Read the sentence again, pausing at the new word—this can help your child to see the word in context
- Read up to the word, leave out this word, and read on to the end. What would make
sense? - Find the word on an earlier page, point out that it is the same word, then ask your child if they can remember what it says