Reading with your child and reading to your child
In the early years of schooling your child will be bringing books home. The reading practice they get by reading schoolbooks every night is invaluable to reading progress. When reading the books with your child, also take the time to talk about the book. Discuss the cover, talk about the pictures, and predict with your child what might happen next.
Along with reading with your child, it is also good practice to read to your child. Bedtime stories where a book or part of a book is read each night is a way to encourage children to engage with books and build vocabulary and language skills. Talking about the stories also develops meaningful interactions between parent and child.
Reference
Studies have shown that the types of interactions between parent and child can result in a more than 30 million words gap between children by the time they are three years old. (Hart & Risely 2016)
