How you can help your child with Reading

To get your child interested in reading, it’s important to vary the books you read together and to talk about the types of material you read each day.

Our school encourages parents to work with us to develop children’s reading skills. Here are a few tips to get you started:

play number plate games in the car by looking at different number plates and making sentences starting with the same letters.
encourage children to re-tell stories they have read and to share these stories with other family members.
when reading to your child, stop and ask “what do you think will happen next?” and occasionally ask “why do you think the author included that part in the story?” to ensure they understand what they are reading.
if your child makes a mistake when they read aloud, give them time to correct the mistake themselves.

For more information about how you can help your child with reading visit http://education.qld.gov.au/parents/map/

Why reading stories matters

Books help to develop your child’s language, knowledge and understanding, as they introduce young readers to a huge variety of new words and topics.

If your child is familiar with books and reading, they will be better prepared to take advantage of all learning.

Taking the time to read to your child, or introducing them to a number of different books will make them more comfortable reading at school.

Reading is also a way for parents to spend quality time with their children and will help to build a stronger relationship between you and your child.

Children learn by example, so watching you read and talking together about reading will show your child that reading is a valuable a skill and an excellent way to spend free time.

If you would like more information about reading with your child visit: www.education.qld.gov.au/parents/map/