Supporting early reading at home

Keep reading aloud to them

Reading aloud builds vocabulary, a feel for stories and a love of books, even once children can read on their own. Choose books they enjoy, talk about the pictures and ask what they think will happen next.

Practise with words they can sound out

When your child reads to you, choose text that matches the sounds they know. Many schools send home books matched to their phonics stage for exactly this reason. Word lists, word families and short sentences help too.

• Let them sound out a word before you step in.
• If they get stuck, prompt with the first sound, or sound it out together.
• Re-reading a familiar book is good practice, not cheating.

Talk about what they read

Understanding matters as much as decoding. After a page or two, ask a simple question: who was in the story, what happened, or what a word means. Keep it a chat rather than a test.

Keep it enjoyable

Short, regular reading sessions in a comfortable spot are better than long ones. If your child is tired or frustrated, read to them instead and try again another day.