At Discover Learning, our tutors cannot stress the importance of reading enough. Being able to read, is not only crucial for progressing in English, but is in fact essential in all aspects of a child’s learning.

1. Reading improves vocabulary and language skills.
Children learn more about the English language and reading boosts their vocabulary. Our tutors have noted that children who read more, have higher attainment in writing and spelling.

2. Reading improves concentration.
Children have to sit still and quietly so that they can focus on the story when they are reading. Concentration is a valuable skill which will inevitably help them in school.

3. Reading teaches children about the world around them.
Through reading a variety of English books children learn about people, places, and events outside of their own experience.

4. Reading develops a child’s imagination.
Reading helps children to be more creative and assists children in English lessons, e.g. writing narratives. Our tutors have observed that the more a child reads, the more imaginative he/she is when writing their own stories.

5. Reading is a great way to spend time together.
Reading together on the sofa, bedtimes stories and visiting the library are just some ways of spending time together.

6. Children who read achieve better in school.
Reading promotes achievement in all subjects, not just English. Our tutors know that children who are good readers tend to achieve better across the curriculum.

Our tutors are so passionate about children’s progress in reading and English, we have compiled some useful tips for reading with your child at home!

• Read aloud to your child and demonstrate your own interest in reading.
• Take your child to the library and let them choose a book that really interests them. The more interest, the more they will read!
• Take time to listen to your child read as often as you can, even if it is for 15 minutes a night.
• Read together! Reading should be a special, relaxing and enjoyable experience for both you and your child. Taking it in turns to read will help build your child’s confidence to start reading independently.

In our English lessons, our tutors follow these simple steps in reading:

Before reading:

• Our tutors talk about the cover, the title and the pictures, and discuss what the book may be about. This will engage your child from the beginning, making them excited to find out what is going to happen in the story.

During reading:

• Our tutors encourage children to sound out difficult words, using their knowledge of letter sounds. This develops a child’s knowledge of English letter sounds.
• Stop at different points throughout the story and discuss what has been read up to that point. Can your child recall what they have read?
• Our tutors as children to make predictions throughout the story about what might happen next. This is a great English skill to develop from a young age.

After reading:

• Discuss the ending- How does the ending compare with your predictions?
• Our tutors advise that reading different stories helps children to see what interests them and informs your next choice of story!

Tutor tips are designed to instill confidence and enthusiasm for reading. This will allow children to develop their English comprehension skills, fluency, writing and progress in all areas of learning!

‘The more that you read, the more things that you will know. The more you learn, the more places that you’ll go.’ – Dr. Seuss