life. Your children will be more confi dent, with higher levels of self-esteem and should have a happier, more productive and successful life.


L There are clear links between children who


enjoy reading and their improved success at school, so encouraging your kids with their reading also helps them to do well in class. In addition, research has found that reading for pleasure is the most important indicator of the future success of a child. Recreational reading provides a richer vocabulary, more knowledge and critical thinking skills, and could therefore give better opportunities throughout life. Any long break from school, particularly the summer holidays when there aren’t any books coming home from school, can be a time when less enthusiastic readers lapse in their reading. As a par- ent, it’s really important to encourage your children to keep on reading.


Here are some tips to help


your child’s reading and develop their literacy skills throughout the summer holidays and beyond.


First some simple tips on reading with your child:


✔ Try and set time aside to read with your children – it’s the perfect way to bond with them. You can share a cuddle at the same time and it’s often a time when children feel relaxed and open up about anything that’s worrying them.


iteracy skills, of which reading is one (along with writing, listening and speak- ing) form a good basis for a successful and fruitful working life. Nurturing these skills in your children from a young age helps to open doors for them in future


✔ Don’t hurry – when you and your child sit down to read a book, try and forget the long list of things you need to get done and focus on helping your child to enjoy this time. These quiet times can be a great way to use books to talk about other issues and interests. Don’t rush them.


✔ Be positive: when you sit down to read with your child, give them praise for trying hard. Don’t criticise them when they make mistakes. Make sure that there are no other distractions – turn


w b o o n and


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off the TV and devote one on one attention to that child for as much time as you can.


✔ Give them time to think – let your child make a guess or help them work out what the word is by breaking it up into sounds… resist the temptation to jump in and tell them the word.


✔ Let them see you reading. It’s crucial that your children see the adults in their household read- ing, as this will reaffi rm that reading is a valuable activity. So if you are going away on holiday, don’t forget to pack plenty of books for all the family.


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