The Importance of Reading at Home

As we celebrate Book Week and The Year of Reading, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the power of books and the difference they can make in children’s lives. Reading together at home is one of the most valuable ways parents can support their child’s learning and development.  Just a few minutes each day can strengthen language skills, spark imagination and nurture a lifelong love of reading.

Why use shared book reading?
Shared book reading is more than simply listening to a story—it’s the rich conversations, questions, and ideas that unfold between parent and child. Storybooks introduce children to new words, experiences, and ways of thinking that they may not encounter in everyday life. Reading aloud develops oral language, providing the strong foundation children need to become confident, independent readers. Research shows that children who regularly share books at home are better prepared for reading success at school. And it’s not just about recognising words on a page—it’s about sparking curiosity, imagination, and confidence in young learners.

What does shared reading look like?

An important aspect of shared reading is the conversation that occurs between the adult and child during the reading. Pausing while reading and taking the time to discuss details in the story can support your child’s oral language development. The conversation might focus on the storyline, such as characters or where the story takes place; it may focus on similar experiences the child has had to those that happened in the book; it may focus on specific words; aspects of print; or concepts that are new to the child. When you read aloud to your child, they hear and learn lots of new and sophisticated words and sentences they may not hear or use in everyday talk.

What books should be used for shared reading?

In the early years of reading instruction, children engage with different books for different purposes. They need to read decodable texts to develop their word reading skills and they need to read and hear authentic texts to develop strong oral language skills. Authentic texts include picture books, storybooks, information texts and any reading material the child enjoys. When children are first learning to read, the books they will read independently are designed to improve their ability to decode (decodable texts). For most children, the language used in these books will be far simpler than the language they already understand and use. Virtually all children’s books are appropriate for shared reading, but the best books will have rich, detailed pictures, and are interesting to the child. Remember, the purpose of shared reading is to stimulate rich talk between the adult and child, not for the child to be able to read the text themselves.

Jo Klein

Head of Curriculum