Make sure your child sees you writing. Ask them to help you.
Write with your child – ‘think aloud’ so they can hear the decisions you are making as you write. Make sure the writing is for a purpose, for example, a birthday message, a shopping list, an address.
Talk about the words they see in everyday life – food packaging, signs in the supermarkets, captions on buses and lorries, messages on birthday cards and invitations.
Write a shopping list together. To begin with, this may be pictorial representations of what you need to buy. Then add initial letter sounds alongside pictures and gradually other sounds they can hear. Encourage your child to read their list at the supermarket.
Send an email or text message to a family member or a friend – your child says the message, you write it!
Provide your child with a shoebox or basket full of things to write with – writing tools of various sizes and thicknesses: gel pens, crayons, glitter pens, rainbow pencils, old birthday cards, coloured paper, sticky tape to make little books. Rolls of wallpaper can be attached to a table or wall to provide a large canvas for their writing and drawing.
Make words together, using magnetic letters. This can be linked to their phonics. Check out the sounds for the week on their reading bookmark.
Leave a message on the fridge door and encourage them to write a reply to you.
Make up a story together about one of their toys. You write for them, repeating the sentences as you write. When the story is complete, they can draw pictures to go with the words.
Praise them for their play writing – those early squiggles and marks show that your child is beginning to understand writing.
Enjoy and share books together – look for books that will fire their imagination and interest. Read and re-read those they love best. Add sound effects when reading a story and encourage your child to join in. Use loud/soft/scary voices – let yourself go!
Make time to read with your child throughout their time in school – PLEASE continue reading to your child, even when they are reading independently. This is very important – your child needs to practise their reading skills every day, and needs the support of an interested adult. Grandparents, older brothers or sisters can help, too.
Enjoy the experience. Make sure you have a comfortable place where you and your child can go to look at a book together. Snuggle up with a good book.
Make sure your child sees you reading – you are their role model.
Spread books around your house for your child to dip into.
Talk about books – take time to talk about what is happening in the book, or things that they find really interesting. Discuss the characters and events. Ask them their views what did they like/ not like about the book.
Explain the meaning of words (vocabulary) that your child can read but may not understand, for example, flapped, roared.
Read simple rhyming books together – leave out a rhyming word now and then, and see if your child can work out the missing word. If not, you say it.
What to do if your child is reluctant to read or write at home: Relax! It is important to remember your child will be tired after a busy day at school. Please speak to your child's class teacher as they will be happy to talk about how you can support reading at home.
