Reading aloud: a simple routine that works

Reading aloud is the single most reliable way to grow a reader — and it does not require a perfect bedtime or a tidy living room. It requires a routine small enough to actually keep.

Anchor it to something that already happens

After teeth, before lights out. Pick a moment that already exists in your day so you are not creating a new appointment, just attaching a book to an old one.

Ten minutes is enough

Short and daily beats long and occasional. If your child is wriggly, let them colour or build while you read — listening is still reading.

Read the pictures too

Ask what they can see, what the character might be feeling, what happens next. Our picture books are built for this: every spread has something to spot.

Finish with one question

Every book in our library ends with a note for parents and a few thinking questions. Use one — not all of them. A single good question at the end of a story is what turns a book into a conversation your child remembers.