5 tips for building reading skills

Reading can often be a chore especially as children read at school so many don't want to read at home. Whether you are trying to encourage your child to read to build their reading and vocabulary skills, to open up the wonderful world of books and their benefits or whether they need to read for homework, our tips will ensure that reading never has to be a chore again.

1. Create a reading routine

Have a time in the day that is saved for reading and try to incorporate the same time every day. This way your child will get into the habit of reading every day and hopefully will start looking forward to that reading time.

2. Create a reading place

Whether it be a pile of cushions and pillows, an indoor den or simply snuggled on the sofa under a blanket, creating a place where your child will feel comfortable and snug sets the perfect setting for some good reading time.

3. Vary the material

There are so, so many things for children and adults to read that there will certainly be something that will interest your child. They can choose from hundreds of different reading materials including:

• cookbooks

• joke books

• social media

• magazines

• comic strips

• newspapers

• blog posts

• tablet apps

• Kindle books

With such a variety your child will soon find something that they love to read, a great way to start their reading journey.

4. Let your child choose

Take a trip to your local library or a charity shop and let your child spend some time looking through the different books and choosing one that really appeals to them. If your child has a particular interest you could go online and look at the different books available in that topic and order one that you have chosen together. Turn it into a sneaky reading experience by having your child read the reviews and synopsis of the books you are exploring.

5. Read aloud together

By taking the time to read aloud with your child you can add all sorts of feelings and emotions to your text which will make reading even more fun. Take turns to read paragraphs or chapters and have fun making your voices sound different and creating an atmosphere. Encourage your child to increase or decrease their reading rate depending on which is needed and encourage them to add as much or little dramatic expression to their voices as they see fit. Your child will not only enjoy the reading session better but will also build up their imaginations and explore their senses.