To think you do have to do more than read with your child?

[areyousurre]

I’ve read a lot on here and other resources that all you should do with primary aged children is read to them / with them, and I suppose I’m questioning that a bit.

I’ve always read widely with my children but I’m not sure it’s made any real discernible difference in terms of language development or progress academically. And I now feel guilty that I haven’t done more!

I’d be interested in hearing what people honestly think. I don’t mean I’m going to stop reading to them but I do think I should be maybe doing more.

Reading with your is the most valuable thing to do related to learning

Dc1 is distinctly average despite being read to probably more than any other child I know!

It’s possible that he’d have been below average otherwise but I’m not convinced. I am more leaning towards … if I’d read to him AND with him, encouraged those phonics, he’d be in a stronger position.

Reading is definitely the most important thing to do but doing some maths practice is good as the more practice they get the more it sticks in their heads. Doesn't have to be sit down and do worksheets - with DD we chanted timetables while walking, when I cut up grapes in quarters for DS I always got him to count in 4s as I did it.

When DD was primary school age I did summer school with her every year, which was a couple of hours a day learning, often practical (after the first summer, which was focused on teaching her how to read in English), then lunch while watching horrible histories. But I wasn't working then, now I am so can't do it with DS (but DD might, for pay)

They give plenty of homework in primary school here so there's always more than reading to do at home (usually there's a reading task, some maths, maybe some science, set daily to be done by the next day no excuses!) but I only help if needed, otherwise DS gets on with it by himself.

Without being rude op, what’s your expression and commitment ? Are you bored reading to him? If he can’t read yet you need to maybe keep it short but exciting. When I read to reception age chn, they are very engaged. At that age you need to be doing the voices and over playing the excitement/ fear in your voice and body language. Exhausting I know.

Make it a non negotiatibae. Read now, then you play.

I love English, words and reading. One child also does, the other sadly doesn't as much. It's not something you can really force, I don't think.

However, I like to use all kinds of vocabulary in general conversion with them and I've noticed them both using similar, varied vocabulary in their own speech, which I think must also be a plus. Sometimes I'll be shocked by it, in a good way! They are little sponges.

You’re getting useful replies from primary teachers reassuring you that it absolutely will be helping them academically (and otherwise). I’m putting my two pence worth in as a high school teacher to say that the positive effects of reading later in education are staggering. And unfortunately the opposite too - those who haven’t done reading at home (whether that’s being read to or reading widely, or ideally both) struggle so much more, it’s really sad. I’m currently teaching a specialised curriculum to a group of pupils with low reading literacy - we’re focusing on fluency, ie reading fluently, out loud, with expression, adjusting pace and volume, and discussing why we are making those choices with how we read. You could do this with your kids if you want to improve their fluency and comprehension as well as their decoding skills.

Doing his school reading book will help with the phonics.

When your out and about identity the first sound in words, look at which words rhyme. Build little bits into your day.

When you go shopping use it as a chance to build in counting. I used to give my son his own little shopping list with things he needed to find as we went around

That tells me you definitely need to carry on. If you hadn’t he would be struggling. You’re doing a wonderful thing, stop doubting. I see these children and I also see others that are doing ok but have no input at home and could be further on. Which parent would you rather be?

Talking is the best thing to do, keeping up the flow of vocabulary and dialogue goes alongside reading in my opinion, you need to support a rich vocabulary acquisition, ask and answer questions and encourage an enquiring mind. Then any other “ learning opportunities” which doesn’t include worksheets! Counting, number recognition, weighing and measuring, quantification, there’s so much you can do without sitting down “ learning”.

Read, go out on visits, go to suitable theatre shows, play I spy, card and board games etc. Don't do death by worksheet.

You need to buy more books,loads of books. It needs to be exciting and if a book is boring or badly written you move on.

You absolutely need a copy of You Choose by Nick Sharratt, this you can read with your two year old as well. It's more of a discussion rather than a word count but use it to prompt all the understanding type questions you need. So why would you choose that, if you didn't wear that what would be your choice, etc

My DC were reading before they started school. I focused on lots of different days out, any clubs they wanted and showing an interest in their interests plus an unlimited amount of books at home and lots of travel.
Once they got older I told them they could stay up an hour later if they spent that hour reading, that worked out so well and really helped with their love of reading.
They are in their 20’s and 30’s now and I still buy them a book if we go shopping.

We try to do as much as we as we can with them. They’re read to every night. We listen to them read every afternoon. On weekend and school holidays they have work books. Thy have ten minutes a day where we ask them to practice their instruments. They’re in sports clubs and hobby groups. We take them all over.
I’m currently on the way back from a city break with my eldest to see a theatre show she’s been desperate to see.
I only have one go at doing this and I do try really hard.

Keep giving your dcs books at home, and encourage them to read - turn off the TV, remove screens and let them read in bed.

Breadth of reading widens vocabulary, introduces new ideas and encourages imagination.

Also, you don't have to buy books. Join your local libraries and let them choose their own (the two year old as well) even if they choose the same book for weeks on end.

Alongside reading, cultural capital is another huge factor in academic achievement: exposure to arts, culture (their own and others), knowledge of world events etc. Again google ‘cultural capital and academic achievement’ and you will find lots of info. So every dinner table conversation, museum or theatre trip, day out in another city etc will help them academically too. You could also read non fiction books and articles about topics that interest them, if you want to build their cultural capital.

My children are adults now but when they were younger I always read to/with them.
Looking back I think the best thing you can do is play with them. I've spent hours sat on the floor playing with dolls, toy cars, board games, colouring in & painting. If I wasn't at work then I played with them. We spent the holidays in the local park because I lived in a terraced house so we didn't have a garden to play in, just a yard. I did my housework when they were in bed or when my mum came to visit.

I think reading is the most important thing as it exposes them to experiences and vocabulary that they wouldn't otherwise hear but I think you need to also encourage play based incidental learning along with life experiences - days out, activities, holidays etc where you can.

Reading is absolutely the single most important thing you can do with your children for sure, especially at the age they are now. Also, just talking to them - engaging with their play, asking questions, taking them out and about and chatting about the leaves on the trees or whatever, sitting round the table to eat your meals and talking about your day... Oracy skills are so important and so lacking in some of the children we see starting school now.

As they get older, support the school with any homework they send home, and help your children to learn their times tables - that’s one skill that will help with their maths beyond belief and is very easy to do at home through games, songs and 5 minutes a day practise.

When did ye start reading to your little ones? My dd is 9 months just gone and I read to her but to be honest she grabs the books out out of my hands and eats them. Still reading to her though as I agree it's the best gift you can give your child.

Reading is so important, not just to be able to read words but to use imagination. Very young children use board books with pictures, then heavily illustrated story books, then short novels.

Ask the child "what do you think will happen next?" What do you see in the pictures? Reading the same books over and over is great for picking up details.

Read a page to your child, then get them to read a page. That way it doesn't feel like a chore. Point out a silly thing in the pictures, make it fun rather than very serious. Like ooohhhh we are nearly at the page where the umbrella blows away!

Reading is a wonderful habit to be in. Remember you learn to read and then you read to learn. If you don't have the first, the second will be hard.

As children get older board games are brilliant for logic and sharing. Take snakes and ladders; oh I don't want a three - look what snake I'll land on....

Looking at picture books at that age and pointing to things to name them. Also nursery rhymes with actions- mine loved ones that jiggled them on my lap.

Good point about games, I forgot to mention chess, that’s something the headteacher suggested for my maths loving DS.

This is what I did. We have a few small museums etc near us and I would take them and we’d talk about what we were seeing. I also, from day one, never spoke to them in baby talk, always proper speaking. I read to them every night, they both really liked that but I don’t remember what age I stopped. I didn’t do workbooks or anything, I just incorporated learning into everyday life.

Another thing my DC were into was maps, flags, currencies, population and so on.

We never did worksheets at home.