Early Years Reading Tips

Three practical tips for you and your baby

1. Little and often: make reading part of your day together

Reading can be part of your waking up routine or an afternoon activity – you could even read a buggy book on the bus! Nursery rhymes are
another way to have fun with words together all through the day.

Talk about the books you’ve read as you go about your day with questions like “are you stomping like the big giant from our story?” or “are we
going to the marketlike the granny from our book?”

Don’t worry if you don’t finish the whole book or if your baby doesn’t understand the words yet. Babies love to listen to the sound of your
voice. Take a break whenever your child needs to – you can be led by them, if they’re not having fun anymore, it’s okay to stop!

Reading can be a calming activity any time of day – cushions and a blanket can help your child relax so have fun making a cosy reading nook
before settling in with a book. Choose quieter, calmer stories especially before bedtime and use a soft tone of voice whilst you snuggle up
together.

Reading together can also be playful and energetic! If your little one has lots of energy to spare find a book with movements for them to copy.
If they’re in the mood to make a lot of noise then grab a noisy book or sing a song!

Notice what your child is interested in. Do they have a favourite page? You don’t need to stick with the story – pause and explore that page
together. Let yourself be led by them.

2. Reading together: bond with story-time

Reading together is a great activity for the whole family. For baby and toddler books, invite everyone to read a little bit or character, or all
make the noises or facial expressions together.

Pause reading to ask lots of questions. Begin with yes or no questions like “is the apple blue? Is it red?” or simple questions like “where is the
crocodile?”. Ask older children open questions like “what would you do next if you were in the story?” Build on their answers and you might
end up with a brand-new story!

Listening to you lays the foundation for babies’ language development so it’s great for them to hear you reading to them in the language
you’re most confident in. Libraries will stock lots of dual language books which will have every line written in two languages (usually English
and one other).

Babies love to see your facial expressions. Try having your child face you instead of the book and give really exaggerated facial expressions
and movements!

3. Reading out loud: make reading fun

Children love it when you do funny voices or sing to them – so don’t worry about looking silly. You can even move about – reach up high like a
giraffe or make your arm into an elephant’s trunk!

Any book can be a noisy book when you make the noises yourself! Make sounds to go with the pictures of animals or transport and encourage
your child to copy you.

If you’re tired of the books you have try making up your own stories using objects from around your home or drawings as props.

Make a fuss of finishing a book or nursery rhyme. Finishing a book or song with a clap can make reading even more exciting for next time.

Above all, have fun! The most important thing is that you and your child are having fun together when reading.

Ready to start reading?

At the end of the day, there’s no single “right” way to read with your child. What matters most is finding an approach that works for your family and keeps the experience enjoyable for both of you. Whether that means making the same silly noises, or playing the same games that get them laughing, every bit of time spent together with a book is time well spent. This is likely the beginning of your child’s lifelong love of reading, especially if they associate it with happy memories with you.

But if you need a bit of extra help and you’re based in London, our volunteers offer free reading sessions every week to children aged up to 11.

Sign up for free reading sessions in London