Reading Together
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"Be awesome! Be a book nut!"
Dr Seuss
Sharing books with your children from the moment they are born (or earlier!) is fundamentally important for their development.
Here are some tips on sharing books with your children:
- Show them you enjoy reading yourself - let them see it's fun
- Try to make time to read with your child - any time is a good time
- Make reading part of your bedtime routine
- Sing Rhymes - don’t worry if you’re not in tune or forget the words.
- Close contact whilst reading is good for both parent and child
- Encourage your child to choose their own books
- Give them lots of praise
- Let them read their favourite stories over and over again
- Let them have a guess at a word but don't make it too hard
- Make reading part of your family's everyday life - from writing a shopping list to cooking together
- Have fun together!
- Come and visit the library - it's free!
- Why not join the library and sign up for ‘Bears Reading Adventure’ and collect stickers for each library visit.
- Children under 5 are not charged for damaged books and their requests are free
How can the library help?
- Not sure what books to choose? Just ask at your local library or check out our recommendations online.
- Looking for Reading Series to help your child? The libraries have a range of reading series that can help your child to learn to read. Just ask the library staff for more information.
- Children under 5 are not charged for damaged books and their requests are free
- Join the Bookstart Bear's Reading Adventure - collect stickers for every book you read
- Come along to the Rhymetimes, StoryTimes and Funtime sessions at your local library
- Why not try these websites to get more ideas?
Why not join the library now?
You can join at your local library but remember to take one form of ID, showing your name and address. If you prefer you can join online now and collect your library card from your library of choice.
Join your child as well, it’s the same process as joining yourself except you will need to sign as guarantor for what is borrowed.
If you are a member your own library card can be used as proof of ID. So join your child at your local library or
join online now.
Fun at the library
It’s a great way to meet other parents and children too, and it’s completely free!
Page last updated: 28th April 2020