Getting more out of reading homework in primary school
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Your child stops at knight. Sounded out letter by letter it comes out as "k-nig-ht", which means nothing. You say: "That one has a silent k, and igh says 'eye'. What could it be?" They get it, and now they have a way into knife, knee and night as well.
That kind of moment is what reading homework is for. Too often it shrinks to five pages and a signature, which is a waste of the one piece of homework almost every primary child gets every week for years. Most schools ask for some reading at home each day, often 10 to 20 minutes, with a note in a reading record. Check your school's letters for its own expectations; many are happy for the reading to be any book, magazine or non-fiction text.
When your child meets a word they don't know
Wait. Count to five in your head. Many children work it out given a moment, and that small success builds confidence.
Then prompt, in this order:
- "Can you sound it out?" For children taught phonics, this is the first strategy school uses.
- "Is there a part of the word you know?" In unhappily, they might spot un or happ.
- "Read to the end of the sentence and come back to it." The meaning often gives the word away.
- Still stuck? Tell them the word and move on. A minute's struggle over one word kills the story.
Don't correct everything. If your child reads house for home and the sentence still makes sense, let it pass for now. If they read horse and the sentence falls apart, ask "Did that make sense?" The aim is a reader who notices when meaning breaks down, not one who waits for you to catch every slip.
Questions worth asking
Talking about a book is as valuable as reading it. One or two questions are enough; ten turn it into an interrogation.
| When | Question |
|---|---|
| Before | "What happened last time?" "What do you think this chapter will be about?" |
| During | "Why do you think he did that?" "What does furious mean? How can you tell from the sentence?" |
| After | "Was there a part that surprised you?" "If you could change the ending, what would you do?" |
For Years 5 and 6, add questions that need evidence: "How do you know she's worried? Show me where." These match the question types in the Year 6 reading test, which our guide to KS2 reading paper question types explains.
Some families keep a card for each weekday and pull one out after reading:
- Monday: Find a word you liked and say why.
- Tuesday: How is the main character feeling right now? How do you know?
- Wednesday: Tell me what happened in this chapter in three sentences.
- Thursday: What will happen next? What gave you that idea?
- Friday: Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
What to write in the reading log
Teachers read these. A useful comment says one thing about the reading and one about understanding.
| Not very useful | More useful |
|---|---|
| Good reading | Read pages 12 to 20 fluently. Needed help with although and thought. |
| Enjoyed it | Could explain why the dog ran away and predicted what would happen next. |
| Hard book | Found this tiring: lots of long words, so we read half each. |
Honest notes about bad evenings help too. "Too tired tonight, so I read to her instead" tells the teacher something real.
When children start reading silently
Around Year 4 or 5 many children prefer to read to themselves. That is a good sign, but fluent-sounding readers sometimes skim without understanding. Once a week, ask them to read you a favourite page aloud, or tell you the story so far in two minutes.
Keep reading aloud to them as well. Hearing a harder book read well builds vocabulary and keeps reading enjoyable, and many children are glad to be read to well into upper primary if it is offered.
Common snags
Every session becomes a quiz. Some nights, just enjoy the story.
Only the school book counts. Comics, recipes, football programmes, non-fiction and audiobooks all build reading. Variety keeps reluctant readers going. A child who loves dinosaurs will often read a fact book they would never choose as a story.
The book is far too hard. A rough check: if your child meets five or more words they cannot read on a single page, the book is probably better shared aloud than read alone. Ask the teacher whether a different book of a similar level is possible.
Bedtime, when everyone is exhausted. If bedtime reading keeps going wrong, move the school book to your regular homework slot. Our guide to setting up a homework routine shows how.
Frequently asked questions
Do audiobooks count as reading?
They are excellent for vocabulary, understanding and enjoyment, though they do not practise decoding words on the page. Many families use both, for example following the printed book while listening.
My child refuses to read the school book. What can I do?
Ask the teacher whether your child can choose another book at a similar level, and try sharing the reading, a page each. Interest matters a great deal.
Should I worry if my child reads slowly?
Speed comes with practice. If your child also struggles to decode words, often loses their place or becomes very upset by reading, speak to the class teacher, who can tell you how they read in school and whether extra support would help. Reading regularly also supports spelling; our guide to learning weekly spellings pairs well with it.
Sources and further reading
- Words for Life (National Literacy Trust) – reading tips and activities for families, organised by age.
- BookTrust – the UK children's reading charity, with booklists and a Bookfinder tool for choosing books by age and theme.
- National curriculum in England: English programmes of study – what children are expected to learn in reading at each stage of primary school.
