At this stage your child will still be enjoying picture books of all kinds to share with you, but will probably start bringing home simple decodable books from school too. Decodable books are designed for your child to read and practise phonics. So, here are a few tips to make sure you make the most of all these different types of books.

Tip 1: Read together every day

Try a short reading time when you are reading (newspaper, magazine, book, on?screen) and your child is too. It’s good to start this habit of quiet reading time early, however short to begin with!

Tip 3:Talk about the book before you begin reading

Before reading a book together, always talk about the title, the pictures and the information on the cover (front and back). If it’s new, ask what your child thinks the book might be about. If it’s an old favourite then talk about the bits you love most! Don’t worry if some books get chosen again and again!

Tip 4:Read with different voices

When reading aloud use lots of expression and try different voices for different characters. Get your child to join in with bits too, such as, ‘They pulled and they pulled!’ and ‘Fee, fi, fo, fom...’. See if your child can copy you!

Tip 5:Ask each other questions

Talk about the stories and information books when you’ve finished reading together and ask questions. What did you like best? Why did the tiger let Floppy go? Have you ever played a trick on any