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Nominate a dad as a reading champion and visit our section on raising boys National Literacy Trust Book Hugs Teach your child to read Highly recommended for parents - 100 simple, fun, short 'lessons' for 3-6 year olds. Reading resources from Ladybird Having difficulty with spelling? Getting "b" and "d" confused because of the similarity of their shape? Try "Back Writing". Place a large piece of paper on a wall at about your child's shoulder height. Give them a thick pen or crayon and stand them at arms length from the paper. Then with your child facingthe paper, write a letter on their back, tell them what it is and describe how you are drawing it. Then ask your child to draw the letter. This gives the best results if you do only one letter at a time. from Teach Your Child to Read by Peter Young and Colin Tyre Having difficulty spelling problem words? from Dynamic Learning by Robert Dilts and Todd A Epstein Picture the word in their favourite colour Make any unclear letter stand out by making it look different to the others in some way (e.g. size or colour) Break the word into three letter groups and build the word three letters at a time Put the letters on a familiar background like a favourite object or movie scene If it is a long word, make the letters small so that the whole word can be seen. Trace the letters in the air with your finger and picture in your mind the letters that you are writing.   Helping your Child to Read Everyone knows that reading is an essential skill, but knowing when to introduce books to your child, and knowing how best to help them develop their skills as they grow, can seem daunting. The answer? It's never too early to introduce books to little hands and minds.. Here are some ideas to point you in the right direction.     Babies     From the moment she's born, talk to your baby! The National Literacy Trust is encouraging parents and carers to talk more to the children in their care, to give them a 'stimulating language-rich start to life'. But babies get frustrated that they can't talk back!! Check out the complete Sign Baby Learning Kit. Even small babies can learn about books by playing with soft cloth books, bath books and chunky board books. They get used to turning pages, and looking at the pictures, and it helps them learn to focus. Choose black and white designs (rather than bright coloures) for the youngest babies - they see them more clearly. But don't push it--if they show no interest, don't force it on them. Wait until they show an interest and then spend time with them, turning the pages, talking about the pictures together. Look out for Baby Bounces or Baby Rhymet Tmes in local community centres - where local libraries come out and provide a mix of: songs, music and movement, rhymes, finger games, board and novelty books, toys, games and other activities. Or start your own : This Little Puffin is a great starter for learning all those 'old favourites'.         Check out the UK's Bookstart, the first national 'Books for Babies' programme in the world.     Toddlers     The most basic reading skill is simply understanding which way up to hold a book, and that you read from front to back and left to right. Gradually your child will learn that the heroglyphics we call words have as much meaning as the photographs and pictures do. They will put names to short, simple words as easily as they put names to pictures. Lexicographic books (which put pictures in place of words) are particularly useful at this stage. As they reach toddlerhood, the ideal book is a sturdy, glossy board book (that are virtually indestructable!) with striking, clear pictures, bold colours large print and lots of flaps to lift and tug are ideal. Try books about colours, opposites, numbers, and the letters of the alphabet plus books about their own toddler experiences - potty training, new sibling, that first haircut - written in story form. Choose books with lyrical, rhyming text, repetition of few words and lots of pictures to discuss and topics to fire young imaginations. Dionosaurs, 'things that go', knights and princesses seem the most popular topics at this age! Unless you live in the country, farm animals are less popular with children than the publishers would have you think!! Join the local library! It's free and you'll meet other mums at storytime sessions for little ones, enjoy the resources on the CBeebies Story Circle or start your own with other mums in your area.     Reading Aloud     Reading aloud to your child from an early age is important for developing reading, language and social skills. Just spending a few minutes at the end of the day, or during a quiet time where it is just the two of you, makes reading a special activity, teaches your child how to share the pleasure, and brings them closer to you. A book at bedtime is always popular, even with older children. But you'll need to choose carefully - anything too exciting and either they won't get to sleep or they'll wake up with nightmares! We keep our 'soppy' books for bedtime reading and our old-time favourites which we've read time and time again. Choose reading books with lots of pictures, and start looking for books that use more text, longer sentences, and are more story-based; these are ideal for sharing. Be prepared for repetition! Children tend to take to a particular story and ask for the same one over and over. Try not to groan!! As you are reading, follow the words with your fingers and talk about what is happening in the story and you will soon find that your child can probably remember every single word and will know the story off by heart! (And so will you!) There are lots of books designed to teach your child to read--a more structured home learning system that prepares your small child for learning in school is great if it is simple, fun and does not become a chore. Remember : forcing your child before they are ready could turn them off reading completely and some children don't take to it for a very long time.     School Days     Once your child is in school, take your lead from the professionals. Your child will start to bring reading books home--read with them but don't pressure them. Activities for Reading and Writing Fun for preschoolers through keystage 1 Take notice of what interests them in their school books and look for similar subjects. Look for lively, short stories with some illustration. Your child will still enjoy familiar favourites so don't worry if they keep returning to simpler books they are already used to. If your child still prefers to look at picture books for pleasure, don't be concerned--they will move on when they are ready. As they gradually begin to gain confidence in their reading, they will move on to books that will stretch them. It's possible that your child may become quite competitive and will want to keep up with their peers but if they don't progress as quickly as you think they should, talk to their teachers, and look around for books on subjects that are likely to interest them. Boys are notoriously difficult to please as they get older, but may be interested in books about sharks or spiders or sport rather than more "traditional" reading books. Publisher Barrington Stoke specialise in books for boys and Trouble with a Python is one of their best-sellers. My own son refused to 'read' until a fairly advanced age and then jumped straight into the close text of Redwall (where small furry animals, dastardly deeds and heroics combine to produce a series of very readable classics)! For more on this, please click through to our page on Raising Boys     No need to force it!     Should your child read the books YOU think they should be reading or the 'rubbish' that THEY want to read? As with most things, parents and children often differ in their opinions, but if your daughter is more interested in a book about Boyzone than the classic Little Women, just be aware that, if she is reading something and enjoying it, it is much better than reading nothing at all so don't let it become a source of rebellion. And if your child is showing no interest in reading at all, there is nothing wrong with comics, graphic novels and books about TV programmes or film characters Keep books by the loo, in the bedroom, on the table - everywhere they might feel relaxed and pick up a book to read.     Activities to encourage the young reader See also our sections on Raising Boys and keeping little ones amused For more about books, stories, poems and authors check out our Fun Sites page and kids book selection The US government Partnership for Family Involvement in Education website shows you step by step how to introduce words and books to your child as part of the 1997 'America Reads' Challenge. And here is a guide for families and caretakers of children from infancy through age 6 (also available as .pdf and Word .doc) Based on the latest reading research, this book suggests many everyday activities to encourage your child's love of reading and strengthen language skills. Most primary school children return to school after the summer holidays with a reading level below or at the same level they had when they left the previous year. So encourage them to read during the summer: Make a field trip to the library. This factsheet will help you introduce library resources to your child. Get them hooked on a favorite author or series. Have books available at home to read. Insist on reading 15 to 30 minutes each day. Set a good example. Children need to see you reading! Make It Fun (Summary) You can make reading a fun activity from an early age. Introduce bath books and board books to babies as soon as they can hold them, help toddlers get used to the look and feel of books, look at them together and take the time to share them. When they start school, follow the lead from their teachers, watch and learn which books interest your child, and notice what other children are reading Keyword lists The National Year of Reading continues as Read On - The National Reading Campaign and Reading is FUNdamental Government website for parents about helping with your children's reading : A little reading goes a long wayA little reading goes a long way Understanding how children learn to read. Advocates reading schemes - but please note this is on the website of a book publisher using reading schemes. Read your child some poetry

Text © Sue Wentworth-Sheilds MSc MInstD FRSA
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