Reading; How do you make it fun??

[Cheeseandcrackers86]

My dd has just started reception and when her teacher did her phonics screen they were really chuffed with her phonics knowledge so have given her some reading books.

My first question is how much reading would people say is the 'right amount'? We read quite a bit together but at her age I'm keen for the majority of our reading to be me reading to her. However I'm aiming to try and hear her read at least one of her phonics books a day to me (give or take) Does this sound too much? Too little? Have people tended to build this up gradually as they get older?

In addition to the above how do people make it fun? I ultimately want my child to love reading not see it as a chore but then how on earth do you ensure that they're reading a set amount a day, for example, without making it something that they see as laborous?

Thanks xx

I think at this age you keep the phonics reading short and sweet and, as you say, continue reading a lot to them. DS1 (y2) is a very strong reader who genuinely enjoys it, but he still finds the 'work' reading a bit of a grind, just because it's something he has to do.

I found doing it daily worked best for us, because they settled into a routine with it. When I initially tried to do it 3 times a week as asked for by school, every day I ended up arguing over whether they had to do it today or could delay it a day.

For us, what made it fun for my DC was not making them re-read anything despite school saying we should. My DC will happily read pretty much anything once to find out what happens - getting them to reread anything except real favourites is a real battle. I have managed a continuous flow of suitable phonics through a combination of buying (DC1 was in reception during the first lockdown so I have them from then) and heavily using our local library. Every evening I put 2 books down ready for them to come down to at breakfast. They get to pick which one they want to read (the unread one goes back as 1 of the next day's pick) and this seems to help quite a bit too.

I think any kind of target should be avoided, just read to her loads and stick some phonics posters up and play stupid phonics games.

The single best thing you can do is read to her at this age.

Thanks. What you're all saying backs up my thought processes too really. Her school has a subscription to reading eggs too which she absolutely loves and is good for short burst phonics practice. She is already getting a bit bored of her reading books saying 'but it just keeps saying x,y,z' 🤣 so hopefully she gets some new ones soon x

We made it part of bedtime, she reads her school reading book to whoever is putting her to bed, then we read to her.
Doesn’t always work when she’s really tired, but she’s not keen on doing it straight out of school and there’s too much going on in a morning.

We have them read everyday at the same time everyday, so it's just part of our routine and they don't even question it. Over the weekend obviously the school book is the same, so we tend to re-read parts or chat over the story or re-read words they found tricky or practice some new sounds/tricky words.
At this age the books are still quite short so they read the whole book in one go, but obviously as they get older and the books longer we'll have to perhaps time it more so reading for 20 minutes each day.

The key at the start is frequent practice, it makes such a difference to a child's progress for them to be heard reading 3 x a week, or 7 x a week. The children's school listen to the child read in school around 3 or 4 times a week and then we read at home around 6-7 times a week, so it soon adds up!

Some children are quite tired after school so I know for some it words better to read in the morning before school. We just do it as soon as they are home, then it's done and they are free to play all evening.

I don't do anything to make it fun as such, but sometimes they are dragging their heels at reading or find the book dull so I try to make it interesting, I may say I wonder if that boy is going to eat the caterpillar on the grass next to him... lets read this page and then turn over to find out!

We still read books to them as much as before.

following!

Agree completely. DD could already read when she started school and, perhaps like your DD, she found the early reading books extremely dull and repetitive! I have only ever asked her to read twice a week (when she got a new book from school) - I've never asked her to reread books and I've certainly never asked her to read daily. She's always stayed in the top reading group and now at 8 is a very enthusiastic reader.

I've found with all my kids that when they want to learn something, they do it extremely quickly. DS wasn't interested in reading during his P1 year so I just didn't push it at all and continued to read him stories galore. He's just started P2 and he's read 4 books today entirely under his own steam.

Fridge magnets on a board on the breakfast table is a good way to learn new sounds (and spell funny words w-ee)

Leave the school books in the school bag.

It sounds like she’ll pick up the phonics anyway - the bigger indication of academic success is a natural love of reading and well-being.

Don’t start in her first year of school with the parental anxiety of ‘reading levels’ and getting all angsty about her phonics. Her teachers will already be doing that and most kids get them eventually anyway.

Read stuff she likes and content that relaxes her - even if you think it’s babyish. Home should be a respite and if you start pushing her she won’t read for pleasure because it won’t be.

Just read every night with different Voices. It's engaging

We gave up with the phonics books after a couple of years and just read what she fancied. Namely captain underpants, horrible histories, the tree house series, the beano. She loved reading and read a lot! She had super comprehension and reading skills.

If the book is home for a week, read it a couple of times. Once they are confident, stop reading it all, it's part rote at that point when there's so little text. Get DC to close their eyes, cover a picture on a random page and get them to read the text - that will tell you if they can read or have memorised.
Reading is not fun when you can't read much/at all. It's laborious and breaks the flow of a fun story. Read to them, read random stuff. Audio books are great too. Reading print is only one part of reading - comprehension is a massive component. Even if you are reading to them - ideally always something a couple of steps further along than their reading age - ask questions. Not just who and what, lots of why and how do you know.
Subtitles on the TV can be irritating for some, but really help link print to meaning. Point out environmental print. Post its in your home on things, so reading becomes purposeful. Once they have a few of those cracked,use them as a game. Your jumper is in the: show the word, get them to locate the item etc.
Phonics are important but they aren't the only route to reading. The main route is motivation, so purpose and fun are vital. I'll stop now, I could go on for hours..

In first term of reception it was hard getting them to do anything in evenings as so tired, so we read in the morning- would get to school 15 mins early and read in the car. Now that they are more settled into school (currently y1) we do as others have mentioned and it is part of bedtime routine- they read to me and then I read to them every night. I find it easier to make it a nonnegotiable part of the routine.

the school books are not super interesting, but I do see them as important as it frequently reinforces what they have worked on that week with the teacher. I try to pause and ask silly questions about the stories or the pictures, repeat what they have said in funny voices, etc. The real treat is the book(s) I read to them.

There is a lot of data about the value in rereading as a means of consolidation, and our school won’t give the children new books until they are completely fluid with the old one. I aim to read the school book every other night, and then in between they can choose one of ours. I strongly recommend the Julia Donaldson Songbird series for emerging readers

Let them choose books related to their interests. Take them to the library often. Make it a special time, with cuddles and your full attention. My daughter is 11 now and reads to herself often but I still get into bed with her once a week to read some favourite old picture books (invariably featuring cats!)

One of my teacher friends suggested having races to spot words or sounds on the page… whether that’s spot a word with the “oo” sound, or something that rhymes with, or a word that means something particular. My daughter hates the dull school reading books, especially when they’ve forced odd phrases to make them fit the sounds they have to practice. This helped a bit. She is competitive! I got her to give me questions to, and would often get it wrong so I’d get corrected.
I agree with you though, reading to them is the best. If she doesn’t want to read what came home from school, after the 2 times that we have to, then I’d let her choose anything and we’d practice reading with that, taking turns, spotting words and phrases that she could read independently.

I took the easy going approach. The first year I did not push my kids on reading. I did not do it daily. I was very relaxed. I felt if you forced them too much it would not help them love reading. And I think my approach worked. Both of my kids LOVE reading. Actually, all 3 of mine do, but my youngest is 2.5 so her reading is just looking at the books on her own (I read to her of course as well). But the older two 8 and 10 read chapter books on their own daily. My son has read 20 books over summer. They were from a series he loves and he would wake up wanting to read them during breakfast, after his camp, before bed etc. My daughter also read a lot, but is studying 11+ so did not have as much time to read as much as she wanted. And yes, they both watch tv as well. But, they sometimes choose reading over tv.