To teach reading at home, start from what your child can already do and coordinate with their school. Use a short, repeatable activity rather than a promise that every child should read by a particular birthday.
Table of Contents
A flexible ten-minute example
| Activity | What to do |
|---|---|
| Talk and share a book | Discuss a picture or unfamiliar word; let the child explain an idea. |
| Review known sounds | Use the letter-sound correspondences already being taught. |
| Blend one or two words | Model m–a–t → mat, then try sat if those sounds are known. |
| Read connected text | Choose a short book matched to the taught patterns; discuss its meaning. |
Ten minutes is an example, not a required dose. Shorten or adapt the routine for fatigue, attention and the school’s advice.
Help when a word is difficult
Point to the letters and model the relevant sounds. If the pattern has not been taught, explain it or supply the word. A picture can help discuss meaning, but it should not replace looking at the written word when practising decoding.
Keep practice constructive
- Praise a specific action: “You checked the first sound and blended the word.”
- Repeat a manageable task instead of making every session harder.
- Let shared reading remain enjoyable, even while an adult reads most of the book.
- Use the language and pronunciation relevant to your child’s teaching context.
When to ask for support
Persistent difficulty, distress or a loss of skills deserves a conversation with the teacher or an appropriate professional. A home routine is not an assessment of dyslexia or a substitute for individual support.
For the underlying teaching principles, see the What Works Clearinghouse foundational reading guide. Its recommendations address classroom instruction; the home examples below are illustrative adaptations, not a validated test or a guaranteed timetable.
Weekly home-reading note
Print this checklist with your browser’s Print command, or copy it into your family notebook.
- ☐ School sequence or book level checked: ______
- ☐ Sounds practised: ______
- ☐ Word or sentence that went well: ______
- ☐ Difficulty to ask the teacher about: ______
- ☐ One enjoyable book shared: ______
