Parents

Sharing books is fun! It’s an opportunity to spend quality time together, develop a bond and have time to talk. It can also develop an enjoyment and help children become lifelong readers.

Parents are the most important educators in a child’s life and it’s never too young for a child to start, even if you’re only reading with your child for a few minutes a day. Before they’re born, babies learn to recognise their parents’ voices. Reading to your baby from the time they’re born gives them the comfort of your voice and increases their exposure to language.

Learning to read is about listening and understanding as well as working out print. Through hearing stories, children are exposed to a rich and wide vocabulary. This helps them build their own vocabulary and improve their understanding when they listen, which is vital as they start to read. It’s important for them to understand how stories work as well. Even if your child doesn’t understand every word, they’ll hear new sounds, words and phrases, which they can then try out, copying what they have heard. As children start to learn to read you can play an important role in helping to keep them interested in books, finding out what interests them and helping them to find books that will be engaging and fun for them as they grow into teenagers.

We know that not everyone is confident with books and reading aloud, so here below are some hints and hacks to help you along the way.