Reading at home is one of the most powerful ways to support your child’s learning. Just 15–20 minutes a day can make a big difference in building vocabulary, improving comprehension, and growing confidence.

Reading doesn’t have to feel like a chore! Encourage your child to choose books that interest them—whether it’s a funny story, a mystery, a graphic novel, or nonfiction about something they love. Talking about what they read is just as important as the reading itself. Ask simple questions like:

• “What happened in the story?”

• “Who is your favorite character?”

• “What surprised you?”

Even listening to your child read, taking turns reading together, or enjoying a book before bed helps build strong reading habits.

Most importantly, help your child see that reading is enjoyable. When kids read regularly and talk about books, they grow in all areas as a student.

• Wait at least 5 to 10 seconds: Resist the urge to jump in immediately. Giving the child time to process often allows them to figure out the word on their own.

• Prompt, don't rescue: If they remain stuck, offer a strategy instead of the answer. You might say, "Get your mouth ready for the first sound," or "Do you see a part of the word you know?".

• Encourage "Sliding" or "Blending": Ask the child to say each sound slowly and blend them together from left to right (e.g., /k/.../a/.../t/ for "cat").

• Chunk the word: Use your finger to cover part of the word so they can focus on one syllable or "chunk" at a time (e.g., covering "ing" in "playing").

• Check for comprehension: Once they make an attempt, ask, "Does that make sense in this sentence?" or "Does it look right?"

• Identify "Tricky" Parts: Point out specific letter combinations that might be confusing, such as "sh," "ch," or vowel teams like "oa".

• Try a different sound: If a word isn't sounding right, prompt them to try an alternate sound for a vowel (e.g., changing a long "e" to a short "e").

• Use multisensory tools: Practice difficult words away from the book using magnetic letters, writing in sand, or tapping out the "beats" (syllables) of the word.

• Provide the word for non-decodable text: If a word does not follow regular phonics rules and the child hasn't learned it yet, simply provide the word to maintain the flow of the story.