Expert comment: Reading during isolation will 'set children up to succeed'
03 April 2020
Holly Joseph, a psychologist and associate professor in the Institute of Education at the University of Reading, said:
“Two weeks into home-schooling, and many parents are still struggling. Juggling work, domestic responsibilities and educating your child may feel overwhelming. With so much information available about structuring the day, staying positive and making learning fun, have we forgotten about something much simpler but equally worthwhile?
“Research shows that reading to your child, or once your child is older, reading independently, is one of the most valuable activities we can do at home. Reading engaging story books with young children has been shown to improve vocabulary knowledge and is associated with better reading comprehension once children start school.
“Older children who read for pleasure are also more likely to do well at school, and the relationship between reading experience and reading skill is reciprocal such that better readers read more, thus improving their vocabulary and becoming even better readers.
“So if you are a parent struggling to keep up with your child’s online learning programme, or if your child is reluctant to engage with what has been set at school, rest assured that an hour’s reading every day will improve their vocabulary, increase their knowledge about the world and set them up to succeed in their education and beyond.”