Did you know spending 10 minutes a day reading to your child helps them develop social and emotional skills and become a confident, happy learner?
Sharing a book with a child is fun – it’s a time for closeness, laughing and talking together. Reading with your child will develop and strengthen your bond and get them ready for school!
Top tips for reading with your child:
- Find somewhere quiet away from noise, TV and mobile phone
- Cuddle up together or get brothers and sisters to join in and enjoy stories and rhymes together
- Make animal noises or sound effects – these help bring the story to life and will make you both laugh!
- Ask questions when you’re reading together such as “what can you see on this page?” ” how do you think the characters feel?” For younger children, repeat the sounds and words you hear in the books – this will encourage children to talk, learn new words and improve communication.
- If you feel comfortable, try making funny faces or using character voices – these always make children giggle.
Its ok to read the same book again and again because familiar books are comforting and build confidence! However, if you are interested in getting hold of some books, ask your nursery manager and visit your library at nursery where you can borrow books for free!
At Little Scallywags, we are always encouraging the love of books and encourage children to read with staff daily at nursery and at home. Children can have access to their own library card and are given activity sheets to take home with them.
For World Book Day this year – children were given the option to dress up as their favourite book character but also asked to bring their book with them so we could read the book at nursery with our friends. Afterwards, staff planned exciting activities for the week based around children’s favourite books and at the end of the week, asked children to participate in a book swap!
Children could swap their book with a friend and get to read their friends favourite book at home too! Children are also provided with a tent and torch to make reading that night time book extra exciting!
How can you make reading more exciting? Why don’t you give it a go! Happy reading all!
