Reading with your children is a fantastic way to spend some quality time together. Although teachers at school will focus on the developing your child’s reading skills, you can teach your child how it can be an enjoyable activity, which encourages them to improve their general knowledge and broaden their vocabulary. In this guide, we reveal some of the best ways you can help your child enjoy reading.

Get comfortable

Before you even open a book, make sure you and your child are both comfortable. You can easily create a cosy reading nook in your home by adding some comfy bean bags, blankets and cushions in the corner room, next to a small bookcase or shelves filled with your children’s favourite books.

Pick the right time of day

Make sure you pick the right time of day to sit and read with your child. Bedtime reading is a well-established part of the bedtime routine in most households, and although it does have some benefits, such as helping your child fall asleep soundly, it’s not the best time for kids to learn. Dedicating some of your time earlier in the day to sit and read with your child when they’re more alert is important, as this skill will carry them through life. If you find you never have enough spare time, consider hiring household staff to help you relinquish some of your other tasks.

We asked Olly from the parenting and money-saving blog Savvy Dad for his advice: “Time is important, it's always best to weave reading in when your child is most awake. Bedtime reading is fine but to truly improve a child's independent comprehension I'd suggest hearing them read earlier in the day, rather than later.”

Make it fun

Reading time should be something your kids look forward to! Try to act as excited as possible when mentioning reading time in front of your children, who will then learn it is a positive activity. You can also have something fun to accompany your reading time, for example, every time you read together why don’t you also enjoy hot chocolate or some snacks to make it extra special.

Alexandra from Young Mummy Survival Guide recommends to: “Make reading a fun activity rather than a chore. I found that the rigid routine of school reading put my daughter off so now we do it as a fun, chill out time activity to do together.”

Olly from Savvy Dad adds: “Make it a game, particularly for younger children. For children around 5-7 years of age who are just learning to decode words phonetically via segmenting and blending, try writing out sentences from a book onto a piece of paper. Cut up the sentence and ask your child to read the words individually and re-build the sentence. Similarly, you can break down individual words into their phonetic sounds via cutting them up. Letting the children rebuild these will help develop the concept of ‘blocks of sound’ that can be assembled for effect.”

We also spoke to Vicki, a primary teacher and mum, from Blossom Education. Vicki shares her advice: “If you give the child a purpose for reading, it can make it more enjoyable for them. For example, giving them the task of reading to a younger sibling at story time can really spur a child on to want to read. Alternatively, try adding more enjoyment by creating a classroom and using teddies as the pupils. Your child can pretend to be the teacher and read to the soft toys.”

Make it interactive

The more entertaining your reading time together is, the more your children will likely learn. Choosing interactive reading games and books are an excellent way to engage your child. Alexandra from Young Mummy Survival Guide continues: “Books with interactive elements are brilliant like The Jolly Postman. They make the children part of the story and make them engage more. For younger children, the textured, touch books are brilliant as they can relate the words to feelings.”

When reading with your child, make sure to ask questions now and again to check whether they are fully engaged. Plus, it makes it more fun, for example, you could ask ‘what do you think will happen next?’

You can even remind and encourage your child to read whilst you’re out and about. This is recommended by family lifestyle blogger Rachel Bustin, who tells us: “At home, I get my daughter to read food packaging and letters and while we are out; she loves to look at the menus and signage in shops as we walk by.”

Re-read favourite stories

Don’t think that once your child has finished reading a book that it needs to go to the back of the bookcase, as re-reading their favourite stories is actually beneficial for your child’s reading skills. Alexandra explains: “Repeat stories they enjoy over and over. It's very easy to get swept up in reading stages and trying to keep up with others. Re-reading stories can actually help maintain and refresh skills learnt while also enjoying the memory of a great story. The Gruffalo and We're Going on a Bear Hunt are great for this.”

Olly from Savvy Dad agrees: “In my experience as a primary school teacher, children need a balance of challenge and comfort in their reading. Don't get overly bogged down with spellings when children are younger, if a word is outside of their usual phonic abilities, say it for them repeatedly in different contexts. Repetition in a variety of ways is vitally important so even when a book is finished, use its vocabulary and context in real-life conversation regularly. The more you model something, the more likely it is to stick, and it is proven that children who grow up in environments with rich language achieve greater things with their academic studies throughout life.”

Choose books on subjects they enjoy

To help your child enjoy reading, make sure to choose books that are tailored to their interests. Don’t worry about the latest ‘it-book’ other parents are talking about and instead ask about which subject of books your kid wants to read.

Letting your children choose the books they read is key, as Rachel says: “I like to make connections between reading and real life. We have a special reading time each day to read our favourite books and books we've picked up at the library. Heading to the library and getting them to choose their own books makes reading a much more enjoyable experience.”

Elisabeth, an English teacher who runs the blog Write One Jaleigh, tells us: “As an English teacher and examiner, I always encourage my students to read as much as possible. The new GCSE is incredibly difficult, and it is vital that students read in order to pass. As I always explain, you wouldn’t go in for the Bake-Off unless you had made some cakes, previously would you? In the same way, you cannot perform well on the new GCSE without reading. There is, however, a lot of snobbery over reading. Many parents seem to think that their child should be reading those huge tomes of Harry Potter. This is most definitely not the case.

“If you can find the hook to get a child into reading, then the battle is won. I encourage my students by finding out what they enjoy. If a child is into football, I might suggest non-fiction books on the history of football, autobiographies or biographies of their favourite footballer, Sports News websites. If someone is into baking, then I encourage them to seek out unusual recipes. Recipes are a complex form of comprehension. Most kids love comics and this time of year there are so many annuals available that are the perfect way for children to dip in and out of reading.”

Vicki agrees that subjects are important: “Encouraging a child to read can be really challenging. However, it is so important as reading is a vital life skill. Materials sent home from school can be incredibly tedious. Not every child cares about Biff, Chip and Kipper. If that's the case, why not make a really simple book about something related to your child's interests”

Lead by example

It’s all well and good flicking through the news and reading blogs on your iPhone, but don’t forget to show your children that you also spend time reading books or the newspaper. If your child is old enough to read for themselves, you could even sit alongside them and read your own book.

This is advised by Elisabeth: “Children learn from your example. Read in front of them. Share books. Buy magazines and have them around the home. If children, see that you read for enjoyment then they will too. My grandparents read in front of my Dad, my parents both read in front of me and my brother, I have read in front of my children. We have all been enthusiastic readers. It is never too early to start to cultivate a love of reading. It is much easier to teach a five-year-old to love reading rather than a reluctant teenager. Whatever you give your children this year, try to give them the gift of reading. It’s one of the most valuable treasures that they will keep forever.”

For quick reference, here is a list of our top tips to help your child enjoy reading:

Get comfortable
Pick the right time of day
Make it fun
Make it interactive
Re-read favourite stories
Choose books on subjects they enjoy
Lead by example

Tips to help your child enjoy reading