Massey Primary School

Search

Tips and links for parents

How can I help my child enjoy reading? (you reading with and to your child)

  • Read every day at a time that is right for both of you
  •  Sit comfortably in a warm, loving place
  •  Re-read favourite books, over and over! Let your child choose a book.
  •  Look for books that have rhyme, rhythm and repetition
  •  Share lots of talk with your child. Use your strongest language to do this.
  •  Make your voice fun to listen to
  •  Stop sometimes and let them ‘fill in the gaps’
  •  Talk about the pictures
  •  Talk about the story
  •  Make connections with ideas in the stories and things in your lives
  •  Allow time for questions that either of you have
  •  Guess (predict) what is going to happen next
  •  Take turns at reading/ read together

 Other Ways of helping:

Play games like:

  • I Spy – beginnings and endings
  • Alphabet Cars
  • Hangman
  • Can you find the word /picture

 

Learning to read and write is as natural as learning to walk or talk. We do not get it right first time – we make progress with practice and encouragement.

Suggestions for happy home reading (your child reading to you):

Provide opportunities to read ...books, newspapers, recipes, magazines, manuals, cereal boxes, texting, game instructions, selected on-line material...ANYTHING!! Choose different types of texts on different days.The main emphasis should be on understanding the text and enjoying it together.

 When they are reading:

  • Give them time to have a try
  • Ask them how they can work out the word
  • Listen! Don’t jump in with corrections too quickly.
  • If the child stops or hesitates, wait for five seconds before helping. This gives the child time to try.        
  • "Try that again.” – suggest that the child starts again from the beginning of the sentence, or that he/she continues, reading until the end of the sentence before having another try.
  • You can say: "What would make sense?”
  •  Encourage them to look for "chunks” they know to help them work out a word. Don’t tell them to sound it out.

 

Tell them the words they can’t work out

  • Give them lots of encouragement and praise
  • Talk about the pictures
  • Talk about the story so far (summarise)
  • Make predictions about what might happen next
  • Make connections with ideas in the story and things in your lives
  • Enjoy the story!

 Children learn to read by reading, being read to and reading together.

HOW TO HELP WITH READING

  • Praise, praise, praise! Praise everything they can do. It lets the child know they are doing the right things.
  • If the child is really struggling with a book get the child to read one page and you the next page or read the story to them.
  • Remember your school and your child’s teacher; the school librarian and your local library are there to help you.

  HAPPY READING!!