Reading aloud: a simple routine that works
Ten minutes, the same time each day, and one question at the end. A read-aloud routine that survives real family life.
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.
