Read every day

It is an obvious way to give your child a boost at school, but it really is true.  The more reading you do with your child, the better.

When your child is younger, it is important to pick six to eight books that you read on a regular basis rather than reading a different one every night.  By doing this, your child will become familiar with the words and sequence of a story.

As your child gets older, it is important to read a range of books.  Reading fiction and non-fiction is really important.  

You can take it in turns to read - this is called Paired reading.  By doing this, you can support your child.  They will pick up the pace at which to read and will also help them recognise tricky words.

It is also important to ask lots of questions about what your child is reading.  Not only this, get them to predict what they think will happen or what they would change.