Make Books a Special Part of Every Day Family Life

​Why am I blogging about reading?

Our focus in the Primary Division this year is on the Language Scope and Sequence for PYP, in particular the strand of reading and writing.



The love for reading is born in the home. At school we can build on this but I am a firm believer that the home is where reading, and a love of reading in all its forms, modeled by parents and grandparents, is where children first catch the ‘reading bug.’ 
The National Academy of Education, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, set up the Commission on Reading. The primary findings in their report was that, “The single most important activity for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” Reading with your child should be a joyful experience.  

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The author Emilie Buchwald sums it up nicely: 
“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”

My advice for you is simple:

• Let your children see you read – books, newspapers, cookbooks or magazines.
• Do not teach reading, or get tense around books. Remember reading should be a pleasure for you and your children.
• Give books for birthday and special occasions.
• Your children may bring home books; it is important to validate your children’s choices so that all books become an opportunity to play games with the words, to have discussions about the illustrations, to delve into the ideas behind the story and to establish what it is that your child finds so engaging about the book. View every book as an opportunity to interact positively with your child.
• It is also important for you to realise that you do not have to read only in English to your child.  It is good to read to your child in his/her own mother-tongue: in fact this is essential in order for your child to develop good language skills which can be transferred to any additional language.
• And know that your children will probably want you to continue reading to them long after they are capable of doing it independently – because reading aloud isn’t just about reading. It’s a warm, loving experience that we hope you’ll continue for as long as your child desires.

    Some tips:    

• Spend at least ten minutes every day reading aloud. Chapter books are great as your children get older.
• Let your children choose books that interest them whatever the topic.
• Be physically close to your child as you share books together. One of the best parts about reading aloud is having your child sit snuggled up to you.
• Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice.  Be expressive, loud, quiet and have fun and laugh a lot!
• Read with joy.
• Read the stories that the children love, over and over and over again.
• Talk to your children about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book.
• Talk about the books and ask “why, “how,” “what do you think” and “what if” questions.
• Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children.

Above all enjoy this time with your child.