Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Fall in love with reading with your children this Valentine’s Day
To celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, BookTrust has curated a picture booklist of love-themed reads to share with your little ones, to help them along their reading journey and encourage shared reading.
- A Great Big Cuddle by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Chris Riddell (Reading age 4 +, Interest level 2+)
- Love is by Diane Adams and illustrated by Claire Keane (Reading age 5-7, Interest level 4-7)
- A Brave Bear by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Emily Hughes (Reading age 5, Interest level 3)
- I Love You by Clemency Pearce and Rosaline Beardshaw (Reading age 5+, Interest level 1-4)
- When an Elephant Falls in Love by Davide Cali and Alice Notti (Reading age 5-7, Interest level 4-7)
We know from our work with parents and carers that reading with your children can be a struggle at times, between finding the time, keeping them engaged and making it enjoyable. We’ve created a list of tips to help you read with your children, encouraging a positive reading habit, so they continue to develop a love of reading for enjoyment.
10 minutes a day
Spending just 10 minutes a day, every day, reading together will show your children that you enjoy spending time with them and that reading matters to the whole family. Story time at bedtime is the perfect time to snuggle down with a lovely book away from noise, television and mobile phones.
Storyteller
Encourage your child to be the storyteller: let them read the pictures to you, talking about what they see happening on the page. This helps your child think about what the story might be about and look for meaning when they read.
Books in the toybox
Give your children books to enjoy, alongside their toys and games. Then they can look at a book whenever they feel like it, encouraging them to read for enjoyment.
Noises and funny faces
Make animal noise or sound effects when reading with your children helps bring the story to life (and will make you both laugh!). If you feel comfortable, you could also try pulling funny faces or putting character voices. This always makes children giggles.
Puppet play
Storytelling can be brought to life by encouraging your child to act out favourite stories: either taking on a role from the book or using toys to be characters. Puppets also offer a wonderful way of engaging children with characters.
BookTrust Chief Executive Diana Gerald said: “Research shows that reading for pleasure, developed through shared reading with parents or carers, has significant positive impacts on many areas of a child’s life. Encouraging reading enjoyment from a young age helps children on their reading journeys. We have created this love-themed booklist and reading tips as we know encouraging reading for pleasure and shared reading can be a challenge. We hope this practical advice paired with the lovely picture book recommendations help parents read with their children, sparking a lifelong love of reading.”