Amazing information about reading with children:

• Reading for pleasure is more important for children's cognitive development than their parents' level of education and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background.
• Read for 20 minutes a day and you will read 1, 800, 000 words per year.
• Children learn 4, 000 to 12, 000 words per year through reading.
• Reading helps reduce stress.
• Reading helps you to sleep well.
• Reading helps improve your focus.

Where can I find free books?

Despite libraries being closed, if you have a library card you can still access thousands of free eBooks.

Visit here for the Worcestershire Digital Library Hub - https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/DigitalLibraryHub

Visit here to sign up for free - https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20313/join_the_library/47/digital_library_membership

Oxford Owl have free books available to read here - Free eBook library | Oxford Owl from Oxford University Press

Here is a list of free children's eBooks available through Amazon - Best FREE Kindle Ebooks for Children (273 books) (goodreads.com)

How to get the most out of reading with your child?

• Take it in turns - don't make the children do all the reading, share it between you both.  This helps with their understanding and helps you to model reading to them.
• Ask questions: What do you think this book might be about?  What do you think might happen next?
• Discuss the book once you have finished it: What did you like about that book? What did it remind them of?
• If a book is a little tricky for them: read a page or two to them and then ask them to read those same pages back to you.  This ensures they have had all the tricky words already read to them.  
• Stop reading at cliff hangers.  It makes everyone eager to read next time!

What books should we read?

Let the children lead the selection process.  They will pick up books that interest then.  They will need some guidance to help them choose books suitable to their ability but if it is too hard for them to read, read it to them.  Adults reading to children is incredibly powerful and shouldn't stop as they grow up.  

Try not to put children off reading the same book multiple times.  If they enjoy it and they're reading, embrace it.  Understand what it is they love about that book and try to find books similar to it.  

Below are some of our favourites that you might want to check out...

And beyond...

Other simply wonderful books to share with your children include...

• The Arrival by Shaun Tan
• The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein
• Holes by Louis Schar
• Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce
• The BFG by Roald Dahl
• The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
• The Danger Gang by Tom Fletcher
• Nation by Terry Pratchett
• Wonder by RJ Palacio