Life is busy. Time is precious. Protecting time for reading is not an easy task, but it is a worthwhile one. Did you know that reading 10 minutes a day at home can expose your child to over 700,000 words per year? The top 10% performing Year 5 students in the United States read 20 minutes or more a day outside of school.
One of the best boosts you can give your child is a hunger for reading and to engage with regular reading at home as a family. At College, students are learning the key skills for reading through our phonics program Get Reading Right. They are building their reading ‘tool box’ to understand the code of English through this excellent research-based program. As they master these skills, the students are also immersed in analysing quality texts to deepen their understanding across all subjects. Reading is bread and butter in the life of a classroom.
Your partnership with daily home reading dramatically improves your child’s reading development trajectory. I encourage you to put your time into what will have the most impact – reading at home! This is where your partnership can have a significant impact. How?
Passionately model the way
- The best way to encourage your child to read is modelling the way.
- When you show how much you love to read you are more likely to win your child’s heart to the joy of books.
- If you are not a reader yet, for the benefit of your child why not give it a go. You might re-discover a love for books yourself.
- Read a book of personal interest to you in a place where your child will see you reading.
Be interested in your child’s books
- Ask your child about the books they are reading and be interested in the story or topic.
- Ask them follow up questions and be enthusiastic, "I can’t wait for you to tell me what happens next!"
- Talk to other parents or staff about book recommendations.
- Find a book you enjoyed as a child and read it together.
Reading traditions
- Value reading time as a fun time – be creative in making it fun using personal interests within your family.
- Make a routine by finding a daily time such as bedtime.
- Enlist a friend or extended family member to help create special reading traditions.
- Buy books together online, in a bookshop or borrow at the library.
Take one small step. Right now, decide on one new commitment you will make to have an impact. It will be worth its weight in ‘learning’ gold.
Sandy Wheeler
Deputy Head of Junior School - People & Practice