When the First Reading Book Comes Home: How to Keep Stories Fun

Kiwi the Cockerpoo stories can be read from a tablet or phone

The first school reading book has arrived home.

It may have come in a special folder, accompanied by a reading record and instructions about how often your child should practice. Suddenly, reading is not simply something that happens during the school day. It has become homework — perhaps for the first time in your child’s life.

This can be unfamiliar territory for parents as well as children.

Your child may be tired after school and less than delighted by the idea of doing more work. You may be unsure how much help to give, how long reading practice should take or whether you are pronouncing the sounds in the same way as the teacher.

The reading homework needs to be done, but how can you prevent your child from beginning to think that stories, books and reading all just mean work?

Learning to read really is hard work

A school reading book may look very simple to an adult, but a child who is just beginning to read has a great deal to think about.

They must recognise letters, remember their sounds, blend those sounds together and work out each word — all while trying to understand what is happening in the story. That requires genuine concentration. After spending a full day learning and following instructions at school, even a few pages can feel like a considerable task.

Some children will be excited by the challenge. Others may become frustrated when they cannot read a word as quickly as they would like. A child who usually enjoys listening to stories may suddenly announce that they do not like reading at all.

This does not necessarily mean that they dislike books or stories. They may simply dislike having to work so hard to reach the enjoyable part.

What should you do when your child does not want to read?

If your child is tired and reluctant to do their reading homework, try to keep the experience short, calm and free from unnecessary pressure.

Choose a time when they are not hungry, already falling asleep or desperate to do something else. Help with difficult words before frustration takes over, and avoid turning every page into a test.

A few positive minutes of reading practice are more useful than a prolonged battle that leaves everyone dreading the appearance of the reading folder. Once the school reading is finished, sign the reading record and put the book safely back into its folder. Let the work end there.

Then you can show your child that reading and stories are not always homework.

First they practice — then you take over

Following the school reading book with a different story can help separate reading practice from reading for pleasure. This time, the parent can do the reading. There are no words for the child to sound out, no corrections and no questions waiting at the end. The child can relax, enjoy the illustrations and listen to the story.

This is not about offering an unrelated treat in return for completing their homework. The enjoyable story is itself the reward. First, your child practices the skills they are learning at school. Then you take over and show them where those skills will eventually lead: into a world of stories filled with imagination, excitement, laughter and characters they can escape to whenever they want.

What if you do not feel confident helping?

Parents can sometimes feel almost as anxious about reading homework as their children.

You may not have been taught phonics yourself. You may be unsure how the school expects certain sounds to be pronounced or worry that helping too much — or too little — will confuse your child. You do not need to become your child’s teacher.

Your most important role is to listen patiently, offer encouragement and help reading remain a positive experience. Follow any guidance provided by the school, and if you are unsure about the method being used, ask the teacher to demonstrate it.

Short, regular practice helps children become more confident at recognising words and reading more smoothly. It also allows their teacher to see how they are progressing. However, it should not mean that every encounter with a story becomes another lesson.

When you read a story aloud for pleasure, you do not need specialist knowledge. You can talk about the pictures, wonder what might happen next and laugh together when the main character causes another small disaster. There is no need to turn it into a second reading exercise.

When they just want their screen

After school and reading homework, many children will simply want to relax with a phone or tablet. It can feel like a difficult choice between the screen they want and the book you think they should have. Unfortunately, that can make the book appear to be the thing standing between the child and their fun.

A downloadable story offers a useful halfway house.

Your child still gets to use the familiar screen they were asking for, but this time you can share a funny story together. They can look at the illustrations, listen and enjoy finding out what happens next without having to decode every word themselves.

It does not need to replace the games, programmes and videos they already enjoy but it introduces another possibility: screens can hold stories too. The screen is not preventing your child from enjoying a book - it is simply the way the story is being delivered.

Let them choose the fun story

Giving your child a choice can also change the atmosphere.

The school has chosen their reading book, but they can choose the story that follows it. Would they like Kiwi the Cockerpoo to cause chaos at a cricket match, become involved in an artful adventure, attend a music festival or head off into space?

They may not yet be able to read the whole story independently, but they can choose the adventure, study the pictures and anticipate what Kiwi might do next. And if they've had art, or science or sports at school they can see it doesn't matter if things don't always go according to plan!

They may even begin to recognise familiar words along the way. If that happens naturally, it is something to celebrate — but there is no need to stop and test them. This is their story for pleasure.

A cheerful ending to reading time

The Kiwi the Cockerpoo stories were created for children aged 4–8, with colourful illustrations and plenty of canine commotion. Each downloadable ebook costs just 99p and is short enough to enjoy together as part of an evening routine. They're available on Amazon as well as Kiwi's own page and you can follow his world on facebook too.

When the first reading book comes home, your child is taking an important step. Learning to read will open the door to a lifetime of stories, but reaching that point requires effort, patience and plenty of practice.

The important thing is to help them understand that the effort is not the whole experience.

Complete the reading homework, sign the record and put the school book away. Then open a cheerful dog story on the screen, take over the reading and let your child enjoy books without having to work for every word.

Reading may be homework for a few minutes but stories can still be fun.