Learning Support Guidance

How to help How can I help my child to be a better reader?

• Choose a quiet time to hear your child read every day.
• Take it in turns to read a page or a part of a page.
• If your child comes across a word that he/she cannot read then tell him/her what the word says and get him/her to repeat it or write it on a card to check later.
• Encourage your child to look at the beginning sound of the word or break it into chunks and tackle it bit by bit.
• When your child has learned new words give plenty of praise.
• Encourage your child to read from magazines/newspapers and talk to you about the article.
• Discuss what happens in a story: favourite characters/most exciting or sad bit etc.
• Use taped stories but make sure your child is reading the book as well as listening to the tape.
• Play games such as Scrabble or Boggle or see how many smaller words can be made from a long word like “Manchester”.
• Choose simple recipes from a cookbook and let your child plan a cookery session.
• Play games such as “I Spy” to encourage your child to think of the beginning sounds of words, and do simple wordsearches or crosswords.
• Play memory games such as “I went to market and I bought…” or place objects on a tray and ask your child to memorize them.