Example books to read together#

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A Bit of a Laugh#

Pōhā: A Clever Way of Storing Food#

'A Bit of a Laugh' and 'Pōhā: A Clever Way of Storing Food' are examples of the kinds of books your child will be reading in the fourth year at school. You can use the slides to read them with your child.

Reading books your child brings home from school#

In Year 4, your child is working towards becoming a fluent, independent reader.

The books they bring home could include fiction and non-fiction. Some may have been read in class, but many will have been chosen by your child from the school library. If you’re helping your child to select books from your local library, encourage them to be adventurous. It’s good to read a variety of titles, including both fiction and non-fiction.

Encouraging your child to read at home is a great opportunity to develop their reading skills by improving their fluency and comprehension.

Before reading#

• Find a quiet place to read together. Choose a time when you both have the energy to enjoy it.
• Be positive about this time. "Great! A new book."
• Encourage your child so that reading is a positive experience. "I like hearing you read."
• Activate their thinking. "What’s your book about today?" "Why did you choose it?" "Have you read any other titles by the same author?" "Is it part of a series?"
• Look at the cover to make predictions about the content.

Reading the book#

• Encourage your child to start reading. "Okay, let’s go. Read the first page for me."
• If your child is reluctant, acknowledge their feelings and offer encouragement. "I can see you’re getting better each time." Offer alternatives. For example, read the first page to get them going or take turns to read a page.
• Read to the end of the page, book, chapter or article, depending on how the reading is going.
• If you’re reading a non-fiction book or article, encourage your child to use the visual features (photos, maps, graphs) to support their understanding.
• Have a chat with your child about any new words they’re unsure of.
• Ask questions. "Why do you think she did that?"
• End on a positive note and give praise. "Thanks for that. You’re sounding great. Well done! I’m looking forward to the next book. You did really well at sounding out some of those new words."

After reading#

• Encourage your child to discuss the text. "Did you enjoy the story? Why/why not?"
• Discuss the characters and the decisions they made. "What would you have done in that situation?"
• Help your child make connections to their own life. "Tama didn’t enjoy going to the birthday party, but I know you like them. What makes parties fun for everyone?"
• Ask if there was anything in the text your child would like to know more about. "How can you find that out?"

Supporting reading at home#

• Read recipes, instructions, maps, diagrams, signs and text messages. It will help your child to understand that words can be organised in different ways on a page, depending on what it’s for.
• Reading to younger brothers or sisters, family or grandparents will give your child an opportunity to practise reading out loud.
• Encourage other family members (aunty, grandma, uncle) to read to and with your child.
• Playing board games and video games is important, too. Choose games that everyone wants to play. Make them challenging and not too easy.
• Take them to the library and help them choose a variety of books they want to read and look for books about topics they’re learning about at school.
• Get your child to choose a book that you can read to them. Listening to you read helps them with their reading.