How can teachers encourage parents to get kids reading at home?

Donatella Fitzgerald MBE
Donatella Fitzgerald MBE
A Parent reading to his two children from a book with all three of them laying on the floor

“Sharing a story with your child is one of the most incredible things you can do for them.” – .

Research shows that getting kids reading at home can increase their reading ability at school – and improve their overall well-being. Parents and guardians can make a big difference. But how can teachers encourage parents to get their children to read more at home? We explore some strategies you can use.

Tell parents about the benefits

Reading can give children a break from technology-centered activities. It can help them to relax and unwind; reading a book can make children laugh and feel happier! Through hearing stories, children are also exposed to a rich and broad vocabulary.

“It is important for teachers to establish contact with parents as much as possible and give very clear guidelines on the benefits of reading, and how they can create a reading routine and help their children read at home,” says Kasia Janitz-De La Rue, Product Development Director at 蜜桃app.

So, encourage parents to find time for a reading routine. Just before bedtime is a great time, as .

Give parents practical ideas for reading strategies

Encourage parents to read with and not to their child. It doesn’t matter how long they set aside to read – just 10 minutes of quality reading time can make a big difference.

Here are a few tips concrete reading tips for teachers to share with parents:

  • Ask children lots of questions while reading.
  • Use encouragement and praise to keep children engaged. Saying things like “what fantastic ideas” or “you thought so carefully about that, what might happen now?"?will keep their minds working.
  • Use their past experiences to talk about what’s being read. Things like “have you learnt about…at school?” or “do you remember when we watched…and found out about…?” are good conversation starters.
  • Tune in and listen to children, and be curious about their interests. “I didn’t know you knew so much about…” or “I love reading stories about…with you,” are good phrases to keep in mind.

It’s also a great idea to share online resources with parents. You can also suggest that parents look up read-aloud YouTube videos featuring authors, teachers or librarians reading their favorite stories. This way, children can watch and listen as often as they like.

Recommend graded readers

Graded readers are books that use language in line with a child‘s learning level. They can help children build confidence, and help slowly expose them to authentic reading levels.

Encourage parents to identify what genre their child is interested in and show them the readers available. Each time parents see their children move up a level, they’re sure to see their children’s love for reading grow.

Suggest before, during, and after reading activities

Before reading

Parents can take turns with their children to predict what the story is about – or what will happen next. Here is an activity teachers may suggest they try:

“Start with the cover of the book and the blurb on the back cover. Reveal the cover slowly to ask the child what they can see. Ask them to guess what is on the cover. Once they have seen the cover, ask them questions about the images on the cover – who, what, why, where and how?”

While reading

Remind parents to focus on their children’s reading comprehension by using strategies like prediction, questioning, clarifying, and summarising. Teachers can ask parents to:

  • check ideas and understanding as the child reads: ‘So, you think that….’ ‘Did you expect…to happen?’ ‘Why do you think that happened?’
  • use the pictures in the book to help with comprehension
  • describe what is happening and talk about the characters.

After reading

Don’t forget: parents can continue to explore the book’s topic once reading time is done! A few ideas to share with parents include:

  • organising a puppet show for family members and siblings after making puppets of the characters in the book
  • having children draw a picture of their favorite character or their favorite page in the story
  • encouraging children to express their opinion on the book.

View our?蜜桃app English Readers

More blogs from 蜜桃app

  • Expressing love around the world: Interesting facts and how to say "I love you" in different languages

    提交者 Sam Colley
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    Love is a universal language that transcends borders, cultures and languages. For those learning another language, understanding how to express love in various tongues can be both fascinating and useful. Whether you're planning to travel, connect with friends from different backgrounds, or simply expand your linguistic repertoire, knowing how to say "I love you" in different languages as well as the cultural context, can be a beautiful way to show appreciation and affection. Let's take a look at some of the many ways to express this timeless sentiment and some interesting facts.

    1. Cultural nuances:

    In many cultures, the way you express love can carry different weights and meanings. For example, in Japanese, "愛してる" (aishiteru) is a very strong expression of love, often reserved for serious relationships, whereas "大好き" (daisuki) is more commonly used among friends and family.
    However, French, often called the language of love, uses "je t'aime" to express love as a romantic phrase that can be used for both partners and close family members.

    2. Gender differences:

    Some languages have gender-specific ways of saying "I love you." For instance, in Arabic, "????" (a?ibbuka) is used when a woman says "I love you" to a man, and "????" (a?ibbuki) is used when a man says it to a woman. Similarly, in Hindi, men say "??? ????? ????? ???? ???" (main tumse pyaar karta hoon) and women say "??? ????? ????? ???? ???" (main tumse pyaar karti hoon).

    3. Formal vs. informal:

    Some languages have formal and informal ways of expressing love. In Spanish, "te amo" is more formal and used for romantic love, while "te quiero" is more casual and can be used for friends and family.
    ?

  • Understand your English level

    提交者 Sam Colley
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Learning English as a second language is a journey that can be fun and tough. A key part of this journey is knowing your current skill level. The Global Scale of English (GSE) helps learners check their skills. The GSE is a scale from 10 to 90 that measures English ability. It gives clear information about what learners can do at each level. In this blog, we’ll look at how to find out your English level using GSE scores, levels, and "I can..." statements.

    Why understanding your English level matters

    You may wonder, ‘Why is it important for me to know my language level’? If you start studying without knowing your skill level, you might feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or find learning too easy and be put off or not make any learning progress.
    Knowing your English level helps you in many ways, such as to:

    1. Set realistic goals: Tailor your learning objectives to your current abilities.
    2. Choose appropriate materials: Select books, courses, and resources that match your proficiency.
    3. Track progress: Measure improvement over time and stay motivated.

    GSE levels and what they mean

    The GSE levels range from Starter to Expert, each with specific "I can..." statements that describe what you should be able to do at that level. Here’s a breakdown of each level, along with some practical examples:

  • Teacher and primary school students colouring

    Planning effective ESL lessons for the upcoming year: Tips and ideas for teachers

    提交者 Sam Colley
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    As the new year approaches, it's the perfect time to reflect on our teaching practices and plan engaging, effective lessons for our English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Thoughtfully crafted lesson plans can make a significant difference in the learning outcomes and engagement levels of your students. Whether you're teaching young children, teenagers, or adults, the principles of effective lesson planning remain consistent. Here are some ideas, hints and tips to help you create dynamic and successful ESL lessons for students of all ages.

    Start with clear learning objectives

    Begin each lesson with clear, achievable objectives. What do you want your students to learn by the end of the lesson? Objectives provide a roadmap for both you and your students, ensuring that everyone is focused and aware of the goals. For example, an objective might be "Students will be able to use past tense verbs to describe their weekend activities." Clear objectives provide direction and help you measure student progress.

    Incorporate a variety of activities

    To cater to different learning styles and keep students engaged, incorporate a mix of teaching methods and activities. Here are a few ideas:

    • Listening: Use audio recordings, songs, or podcasts to improve listening skills.
    • Speaking: Organize pair or group discussions, role-plays, or presentations to enhance speaking abilities.
    • Reading: Provide a variety of texts such as articles, short stories, or dialogues.
    • Writing: Assign tasks like journal entries, essays, or creative writing exercises.
    • Homework activities: For something outside of the classroom, a nature walk or a recipe can be used to help learn specific vocabulary.

    Use authentic materials

    Authentic materials—such as newspapers, menus, brochures and videos—expose students to real-world language and contexts. These materials can make lessons more interesting and relevant, helping students see the practical application of their language skills. Even better, they’re everywhere, so easy to find. Here are some more suggestions for how to select and use authentic materials in your English language teaching.

    Integrate technology

    Teachers are already used to leveraging technology to enhance lessons utilizing online resources, language learning apps and interactive platforms to create a dynamic learning environment. Why not take this a step further by using AI to create your own resources. Take a look at our blog on How to make the most of AI in the classroom for some more ideas.
    ?