Children love reading with adults! Try these tips to keep this love going:

• Reading doesn’t have to be at a specific time, such as before bedtime. Read stories together whenever you have some time – and it’s always fun to read just before bedtime too.
• Read with expression and use different voices for different characters. Don’t worry about sounding silly – kids will love your enthusiasm. Let them take part in the reading. For example, the child could say ‘meow’ whenever you read the word ‘cat’, or they could help make the sound effects (‘Bang!’ ‘Crash!’ ‘Splash!’).
• Let the child touch the book and turn the pages. This helps them feel part of the process of reading.
• Ask questions while you’re reading. Why was the lion cross? Who stole the hats? Who was naughty in the story? What does this word mean?
• Ask your child for predictions about the story. What do you think the lion will do now? Do you think the thief will be able to eat all of the cake? If the child gets the predictions wrong, that’s OK! Their answers don’t need to be right – they just need to think about the story.
• Ask for a value judgement about the story and the characters, and accept negative opinions. If kids don’t like a book, that’s OK too! They don’t have to like every book they ever read, but they should be able to say why they didn’t like it. Share your own opinions about the story, the characters, and the pictures.