Reading recommendations

From my experience of tutoring, the best preparation for children to develop their minds is to read regularly. Whether it be fiction, biographies, history or encyclopaedias or keeping aware of current affairs through The Week Junior or The Week magazines, empowering children to be inquisitive is an investment in their future.

There are various standard school reading lists readily available. Clearly some children don’t like reading, so find short books for a reluctant reader, articles in newspapers and magazines, things they are interested in and enjoy, yet somewhat challenging at times. This will fuel their vocabulary and curiosity, their writing, their conversation and make them more rounded individuals, ready for interview at the school. In all this, discuss with your child how things are going. Have open-ended conversations about the material they are reading and that they are confident, enthusiastic and resilient throughout.

Getting the most suitable books that each individual child would actually like to read can be difficult. Finding a series of books from one author that a child enjoys is a great way to foster a reading habit. You may consider getting “The Reading Bug” by Paul Jennings, which gives practical advice to help children love books. I would recommend a child reads thirty minutes a day or ten pages as a good target as a starting point. Here are some suggestions of authors and/or books to choose from, which I have encouraged many children to be reading: