1. Reading with your child
Reading together every day and having fun with stories will make your child a more confident reader.
A recent study* found that reading with your child is the most important thing you can do to make them a more confident reader. After that, singing songs, telling stories and playing word games are also very helpful, useful, and are fun activities that support your child’s reading. Children who are confident readers make much quicker progress at school than those who are not. Finding a few minutes every day to read with your foster child will make a huge difference – and it can be fun!
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*The study mentioned is from the OECD:

2. Remember, you can read anything…
You don’t have to start with books. Why not talk about or tell your favourite stories!
Try a range of books… Non-fiction anyone?
Embrace funny books!
Encourage children to read wherever they want
Be enthusiastic and don’t worry about making mistakes – no one is perfect!
Reassure carers that reading doesn’t need to be onerous or something where you have to sit down.
Your favourite story could be one from your childhood/ or a fairy tale you know well. It could even be something funny that happened on the bus last week or one you made up!
When we say books, we don’t just mean story books/novels – try a range of books and see what your child enjoys. Non-fiction can be a great way to engage some children with reading. Can you think of a topic they really enjoy?
Funny books are a great way to engage reluctant readers
Encourage children to read anywhere and everywhere (make sure they know it’s their choice!) Just 10 minutes a day reading can make a huge difference.
Be enthusiastic – children will definitely pick up on your body language/ your tone if it’s not enthusiastic. Plus, you might even find you have fun too!

3. So many opportunities to read!
Look around you when you are out and about (signs, adverts, food wrappers, etc).
You can read anywhere. Talking is also very important. Talk to your foster child and ask them about their day, tell them about your day. This could be while you’re cooking, stuck in traffic or on the way to the shops.
If they are younger, say silly things which will spark their imagination. E.g. if they ask you where their shoes are say something like, “I don’t know – maybe a monster ate them?”. Look for words and letters everywhere you go. Give them a word and ask them to look at the signs in the high street to find the letters of that word, or other words that start with the same letter. How many of a given letter can they see on their journey to school, the park, the dentist. Make it fun, don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself as this will make the experience more memorable!
If your child is slightly older, don’t be afraid to go back and re-read simpler books together just for fun. Is there a film of the book that you could watch together? Ask them questions about the book/film and the characters – what would they do in that situation, how would they feel if… etc.

4. Visit your local library
Choose books together
Choose books your child can read to you
Choose books you can read to your child
Choose some books for yourself!
A visit to the library can be an exciting after-school or weekend activity. The library is an excellent place to find books to read. The librarians will help you choose books if you ask them to. Whatever your, or your child’s interests, you’ll be able to find books you enjoy reading. There will be books that are entirely new to you, books from your childhood and books featuring characters you already know and love.
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You could give your attendees information about where the local library is, how to join and explain that it’s free. You might even want to invite a librarian to your event.