Reading at home: what actually helps
Short, regular, relaxed reading helps children more than long, tense sessions. This guide is for parents and carers of children aged 4 to 14.
The short version
- Little and often
- Ten minutes a day is our suggestion because it is short enough to do every day. It is not a research threshold.
- Choice
- Let your child choose. Comics, audiobooks, non-fiction and re-reading old favourites all count.
- Talk
- Talk about what you read before, during and after. Ask what they think will happen and why.
- Stay calm
- If it turns into a battle, stop and read to them instead.
Listening to your child read
- Find a quiet, comfortable moment. Not when they are tired or hungry.
- Let them read. If they get stuck on a word, wait a few seconds. For a word that can be sounded out, say “try sounding it out” and help them blend it. For a tricky word that cannot be sounded out, just tell them what it is and carry on.
- Praise effort, not speed. “I liked how you went back and fixed that word.”
- Ask one or two questions. “What do you think will happen next?” “Why did she do that?”
- Re-read favourites. Reading the same book again builds fluency. Repeated reading is one of the fluency approaches recommended in the Education Endowment Foundation guidance for Key Stage 2.
Young children learning to read are usually given books that match the sounds they have learnt. These are called decodable books. Your child's school will tell you which scheme it uses. A good decodable book will feel easy, and that is the point.
Reading aloud to them
Children can understand stories far beyond what they can read themselves. Reading aloud builds vocabulary, knowledge of how stories work and a love of books. The national curriculum asks teachers to read aloud to pupils and discuss books at a level beyond what children can read alone. At home, keep reading aloud long after your child can read, including to ten- and eleven-year-olds. Audiobooks count too.
By age
| Age | What helps most |
|---|---|
| 4 to 5 (Reception) | A daily story of your child's choice. Songs and rhymes. Pointing out letters and sounds in the world around you. Let them “read” the pictures. |
| 5 to 7 (Years 1 and 2) | Listening to a decodable book each day, ten minutes, and re-reading. Reading aloud books above their level. Playing with sounds in words. |
| 7 to 9 (Years 3 and 4) | Chapter books together, taking turns. Asking “how do you know?”. Introducing poetry, non-fiction, comics and series. |
| 9 to 11 (Years 5 and 6) | Choice above all. Talking about the news or a film. Audiobooks alongside the print book. A quiet shared reading time. |
| 11 and over | Show an interest in what they read. Keep books around. Agree a short daily reading time, even ten minutes. Be relaxed about format. |
More detail is on the year pages.
When they do not want to read
This is common. In its 2025 survey the National Literacy Trust found that only 32.7% of 8 to 18 year olds enjoyed reading in their free time, the lowest level since the survey began in 2005, and that 18.7% read daily. Some things that can help:
- Lower the stakes. Read to them, or listen to an audiobook together, so that stories stay enjoyable.
- Follow their interests. Football, animals, games, jokes, craft, space: there is a book, magazine or website for almost anything.
- Make it social. A sibling or grandparent reading to a child often works when a parent does not.
- Check how they see print. If reading looks hard, see below, and speak to the school. Persistent difficulty with reading can be a sign of a learning need, and the school can help.
Making print easier to read
Some readers find a coloured background, wider letter spacing or a different font more comfortable. We have a tool that lets you try these on this site, saved only on your device: reading preferences. For books, a plain sheet of coloured paper under the line or a ruler can help.
Questions
How long should my child read each day?
There is no magic number. Ten minutes is our suggestion because it is short enough to do every day. A little every day is better than a lot once a week.
My child reads the same book again and again. Is that a problem?
No. Re-reading builds fluency and confidence, and children often notice new things each time. Offer new books too, but do not take the old favourite away.
Should I correct every mistake?
Not every one. If a mistake changes the meaning, you can gently ask “does that make sense?”. If it is a word that can be sounded out, help them blend it. Keep the flow of the story.
Does it count if they listen to an audiobook?
Yes, for enjoying stories, building vocabulary and understanding. It does not replace practising reading print, but it is a good addition.
My child is learning English as an extra language. Should we read in English only?
No. Reading and talking in the language you know best is valuable. See home languages and EAL.