How to help your child with reading at home, a teacher's guide

Reading at home can be one of the warmest parts of the day, or one of the hardest. When a child finds reading difficult, it is easy for it to become a nightly struggle that neither of you looks forward to.

Keep it short and regular

A short, predictable slot each day tends to work better than a long session once a week. Stopping while it is still going well helps your child want to come back to it tomorrow.

Ways to help

• Let your child choose some of what you read, including comics, magazines and non-fiction
• Take turns, reading a page each or reading the tricky parts yourself
• Talk about the story, the characters and what might happen next
• Give a few seconds to work out a word before helping
• Read aloud to your child even when they can read alone

If your child's school teaches phonics, ask which sounds they are learning so you can use the same language at home.

The Department for Education's top tips to encourage children to read are a helpful starting point.

When reading stays hard

If your child is still finding reading very hard after plenty of practice, or avoids it at all costs, talk to their teacher. Some children need a more structured approach, and it helps to understand what is getting in the way.