Reading: Helpful hints to use at home

From a child's first steps to their first words, parents play a vital role in encouraging and guiding their child's development.

They also have an important role to play in helping their child to read.

Education Queensland Senior Education Officer, Sybil Bell, emphasises this role because the ability to read is so critical to a child's success at school and in life.

"Parents have a powerful impact on their child's enjoyment and love of reading and their ability to read," Ms Bell says.

"Children learn about the value and importance of reading by watching their parents read books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, signs and other environmental print in their homes and communities. "

Helping your child get ready to read  Ms Bell says even before a child starts school, parents can do a number of things at home to help their child get ready for reading:

• Speak and sing to your child - this introduces them to the sounds of language
• Read aloud wherever you go - even labels on supermarket shelves or signs you see while driving
• Explain what you're doing when making shopping lists, viewing a website, or writing cards
• Introduce books to your child as early as possible
• Familiarise them with how a book looks and feels
• When you read to your child, use different voices and read at different speeds to give the story excitement
• When you view a website, point to the words so the word you speak is the one your child is seeing.

Supporting your child as they learn to read at school  As children learn to read at school, parents can help reinforce the skills they are learning in the classroom.

It's important to remember that children will learn to read at different rates.

Parents should discuss their child's progress with their teacher to work out the best way they can help their child at home.

Ms Bell offers this advice to parents of school-age children:

• Take it slowly. If your child gets stuck on a word when reading aloud, encourage your child to read on to get the overall meaning
• If your child makes a mistake, don't interrupt - allow time for your child to correct themselves
• After reading talk about the story and the illustrations and ask questions
• Read books that have been made into films or videos and talk about the differences between the two
• Join a local library and borrow books for your child
• Give books as presents.

State Librarian, State Library of Queensland, Lea Giles-Peters encourages parents to try favourite books.

"These could be Possum Magic by Mem Fox, the works of Dr Seuss, the Harry Potter series, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Charlotte's Web by EB White, Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park and the Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien," she says.

"If your children are reluctant to read, offer them something they are truly interested in, even information books or comics."

Lutheran Education Queensland Executive Officer in Curriculum, Sue Kloeden, says the single-most important thing a parent can do to help their child with their reading is to "grab a book and read to them every day".

"Don't worry if you are reading much-loved stories again and again. Your child may even learn some off by heart. This is all part of the journey into becoming a keen reader," she says.

"If your child is just beginning to read, praise is a magic ingredient.

"Always praise them for their enthusiasm and skill and enjoy reading with them!"