Help Your Child Love Reading

Alison David uses her extensive experience as a consumer researcher with Egmont and as a parent herself to provide an impassioned and usable guide for parents wishing to ignite a love of reading in their children. The book is divided helpfully into sections according to age groups from pre-school to teens and the layout and design make it easy to dip into. The text is interspersed with statistics and quotes from experts in the field, parents, children and teachers. A full list of references would also have been helpful and some indication of where some information, for example the key stages of development referred to, originate from. The ‘Dos and Don’ts’ provide a summary to key points at the end of each section. The Q and A sections are a helpful idea as is the list of children’s books referred to included at the end of the book.

Ways of building a ‘reading home’ are introduced with the importance of reading aloud to children highlighted throughout the book and parents encouraged to ensure their children see them reading for pleasure. I love the idea that sharing books together is described as creating ‘relationship glue’ providing a shared experience. Lots of practical advice is offered such as co-reading books as a bridge to encourage children’s development as independent readers. Key issues such as boys and reading, working parents, reluctant teens and screen time are tackled (the latter extensively). It is a pity that in an earlier chapter ‘learning to read’ is presented as in opposition to ‘reading for pleasure’ and ‘school reading’ equated with homework. As the writer herself acknowledges later in the book many schools and teachers would be very pleased if parents focus on reading aloud and sharing books with their children.

Overall however this is a very readable guide with useful guidance which many parents will value.