We chat with BEVERLY SACE of Books & Brains Literacy Services about the best way to start supporting reading at home. She also tells us how families can share the joy of learning to read and why parents should encourage kids to keep practicing.
When is a good time to practice reading with my child at home?
Any time is a good time to read! Having said this, we need to distinguish between reading aloud by parents, which is a pleasurable activity for the child, and asking the child to read. Reading to your child promotes bonding; for example, it can provide a quiet time (or not, depending on the book!) for a parent and child to catch up at bedtime. Reading is then an activity that makes the child feel loved and safe.
Is there a particular place that’s best for learning to read?
I recommend parents read to their children before bed – they just love their parents’ voices. If you ask your child to read to you to practice their independent reading, I suggest doing this at a desk or table to signal that it’s a time for practising their reading muscles.
Should I lead or just be supporting when needed?
When children need that bit of support, reading the title helps them get started and turning pages makes them feel supported. Help out by supplying the sounds they’re trying to recall to decode the words. Don’t say the whole word – help them sound out the words. After they’ve read a page, very tactfully repeat the page so it can help with comprehension. Ask questions at certain points to support their understanding. Maintain a light atmosphere to keep it enjoyable.
What are some good titles for kids learning to read?
When we think of reading with children, we usually think about reading fiction picture books. Each child is unique and has many interests.Supporting these by providing them with informational non-fiction books about ladybirds, dinosaurs or what have you will get them more excited about their special interests.
How can I introduce spelling concepts too?
With only 26 letters representing English’s 44 sounds, English is full of letter combinations that can make parents’ heads spin! For example, the sound /ai/ as in rain can be spelled as a_e as in cake, ay as in play, ey as in hey, a as in apron, ea as in great, eigh as in neighbour, aigh as in straight, ae as in sundae, or é and -et as in café and bouquet! It’s important that parents are aware of the sounds of English and so can say, hey, look at that <ough> spelling in the word “though”; it sounds the same as the <ow> in “window”! Books & Brains has a sound and spelling chart that supports this.
What if my child wants the same book over and over?
That is perfectly fine! Younger children love to master things by repeating them. This is a learning process. Children love reading the same book because they can show you that they can supply the next words. They want to demonstrate their knowledge. Other times, they simply love the happy feelings the book invokes when reading with you!
How can I support reading at home once they become a good independent reader?
Provide access to books! This can be done by bringing them to the public library, going to charity book sales, supporting local bookstores and looking out for books on Facebook Marketplace. You can also ask parent sellers whether their child enjoyed the books you’re looking at buying. There are also ebooks, which I don’t recommend, as digital reading is a bit different from reading with an actual book in your hand.
One of the things I always tell parents is to get into reading books yourselves. Children copy their parents!
Unit 701, Lap Fai Building, 6-8 Pottinger Street, Central
WhatsApp 9817 5167 | bev@booksandbrains.org | booksandbrains.org
This article first appeared in the Autumn 2024 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue!
Liked these tips about learning to read? Find more in our Kids section.