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Tips for talking about reading

In last week’s Teaching & Learning article Mrs Jane Doyle talked about the importance of reading and the difference it makes to a child’s development.

We all want the best for our children and most parents at Dominic agree that reading is essential but sometimes it is hard to know exactly how to help.

Below are some tips and ideas that have been used successfully by families at our College.

1. Set aside time to read each day. Many experts recommend 20 minutes but it doesn’t have to be all at one time. A great idea that a parent shared with me was to split the reading. They did a little in the morning and then a second session in the afternoon. However you manage it, finding those 20 minutes will make a big difference to your child’s learning.
2. Read the book with your child no matter what their age. For younger ones this will mean sitting side by side and looking at the words and pictures together. For older children it might mean having two copies of the book so you can both enjoy the story.
3. Ask questions about the book before, during and after reading. Try to make them ‘open ended’ questions like the examples below.

Model reading. Let your child see you reading. It can be a book, magazine, report from work ….anything.

Have your child read everything: recipes, instruction manuals, signs.

Questions for Fiction (Stories)

• Tell me what you read about.
• Who are the main characters? What are they like?
• Do you think the characters are believable? Why or why not?
• Do you agree with everything the main character does? Why or why not?
• Where does the story take place?
• What has happened so far?
• What is the most important or most interesting event in the story?
• What is the problem? How would you solve it?
• What do you think will happen next? Why do you think that?
• What is/was your favourite part of the story?
• What is a moral or lesson you can learn from this story?
• Would this book make a good movie?
• Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Questions for Non Fiction (Fact books)

• Tell me what you read about.
• What do you already know about this topic?
• What details have you learnt that surprised you?
• What new information have you learnt?
• What questions do you still have about this topic?
• Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

We would love to hear your ideas on what works well. Please feel free to email and let me know your top reading tips.

Mrs Sue Cunningham - Coordinator of Teaching & Learning 3-6