Reading with your 5-6 year old
- Continue to read to your child every day. Share as many books together as you can
- Sometimes take turns to read bits of a favourite story
- If your child gets stuck on a word that they could sound out, run your finger across the word to help him/her look at every letter in sequence and build the word from the sounds. Then ask 'would (that word) make sense?'
- Talk about pictures and details that catch your child's interest. This will help with understanding the story and learning what new words mean
- Run your finger from left to right under the words as you read together. In this way, your child can see the sequence of letters across the words at the same time as he/she hears them
- Don't make a fuss if your child can't read a word. Either say the word yourself or encourage your child to think about what it might say. Draw attention to the letters of the word and the meaning of the story. Don't get cross. At this stage it is more important that your child enjoys sharing stories and working things out with you than getting every word right
- Play alphabet and sound games such as 'I spy'. Children learn a lot about words, letters and sounds through these simple games
- Write notes, or text messages to your child - it's a great way to get them to focus on written messages and to learn about words
- Find and make opportunities for your child to use their skills as a reader and writer - when shopping, keeping in touch with family and friends, searching for information online and in books (most libraries have free internet access)