This document provides tips for parents to help their 7-8 year old children read at home. It recommends that parents read to their children, point out words in everyday life, visit the library regularly, make time for daily reading, ask questions about what is read, and praise children for their efforts to encourage a love of reading.

1. Popular reads for 7-8 year olds How Can I
Help My Child Read At
Home?
Good Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/primary
_support/
http://www.wordsforlife.org.uk/primary

2. Top Tips to Encourage Reading Top Tips to Help During Reading
Give them time. Let them make a guess before you tell them
Reading with your child is vital. Research shows
the word. Help them to get the first sound or try breaking the
that it's the single most important thing you
word up into smaller sections.
can do to help your child's education.
Point with a finger. Encourage them to follow the words with
Read yourself! their finger.
Cover the lines underneath. Sometimes children find too much
Set a good example by letting your child see you
text off putting so try doing a line at a time and cover the rest
read. This shows your child that you value of the text with a piece of paper
reading too. Don’t make them try too hard! It doesn’t matter if you have
Point out words all around you. to tell them the word sometimes.
Help your child to read the words around them: Let them read their favourites. It's good practice to read
on food packets in the supermarket, on buses, in the same books over and over again.
Ask lots of questions.
newspapers, in recipes. Discuss the features, the
When is it happening? Where is it happening?
layout, the colour, the font size and ask why
Who is involved?
they think it’s like that. What is going on/What do you like/not like?
Visit your library – it’s free to join! What does it make you think of?
All libraries have children’s sections. Many also Why do you think this happens?
have regular storytelling sessions. How does that make you feel?
Make time to read. Has that happened to you?
Check they understand the story, use the pictures to explain
Read a bedtime story with your child every
what's happening.
night. Encourage them to share reading with
Don’t read for too long. A good ten minutes is better than a
grandparents, brothers and sisters and aunts difficult half hour.
and uncles. Encourage Variety –try comics, newspapers, nonfiction books,
CD ROMs, joke books, comics, poems
Be positive. Praise your child for trying hard at their reading.
Let them know it’s all right to make mistakes. Turn off the TV!
It's easier for your child to concentrate if there are no
distractions.