Why reading to babies is important. Here are 5 simple tips to inspire you!

Why reading to babies is important. Here are  5 simple tips to inspire you! Reading to babies is crucial for their cognitive, linguistic, and emotional development. Here are five tips on why and how to read to babies: Language Development: Reading exposes babies to a variety of words and helps them develop language skills, including […]

14 of the best children’s books about Christmas – for different ages.

  Get into the festive spirit with some Christmas-themed bedtime stories – perfect to snuggle up to in front of the tree, sipping hot chocolate 🙂 From wintery classics to new favourites about Father Christmas and his life in the North Pole, this reading list is suitable for all ages. Here are some classic and popular […]

Why it’s IMPORTANT to read to your kids.

  I’ve just been interviewed on BBC Hereford and Worcester Radio about why it’s important to read to kids. Of course we all know that reading matters, but just how much it matters and how it can impact our children may be surprising. As a former Deputy Head Teacher & Class Teacher  for over 25 […]

Why Graphic Novels Are Good For Struggling Readers.

Do your kids struggle or hate reading? You are not alone but did you know that graphic novels maybe be the answer? Graphic novels are a good choice for struggling readers. They have less text than traditional books, which makes them less overwhelming. Graphic novels are easy to read but have age-appropriate content.   For […]

Comics are a Gateway to Creating Life-Long Readers

  When my son Will was little, he loved reading. Then he went through a phase of not reading books but loving comics. According to the latest research commissioned by Readly, the European leader in digital magazine and newspaper subscriptions this was good news! Comics are a gateway into creating life-long readers. Children who read […]

Reading for pleasure: 10 + simple ideas to inspire your child to read more.

It’s #ChildrensBookWeek so I thought I’d give you some ideas around reading for pleasure. Reading for pleasure is so important for children & it can benefit your child’s education, social and cognitive development, their wellbeing, and their mental health. Reading with children can help to create a love of reading for life & multiple studies […]

Top Children’s Books Celebrating Irish Art, Music and Dance

    Since I started #TheSueAtkinsBookClub I’ve been keen to offer lesser known authors a platform & also to offer a wide range of diversity so all children can see themselves in the stories and books. Here is a list of  The Top Children’s Books Celebrating Irish Mighty Girls from the fantastic A Mighty Girl website […]

Kids Read MORE When We Turn On The Subtitles.

      Turning on the subtitles while children are watching television can double the chances of a child becoming good at reading†. It’s so brilliantly simple and can help children’s literacy so much that we want to shout it from the rooftops! There’s extensive global research that shows just how effective this is and with […]

WHY DADS SHOULD READ WITH THEIR KIDS?

  Today I am delighted to have Dan Freedman one of the UK’s leading football fiction writer as my guest blogger today. Dan worked at the top level of football for the last decade – writing for the FA, the Premier League and attending two World Cups – he combines his work in the game with […]

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. A new study from Harvard University in the USA reveals that children benefit more from their father reading them bedtime stories

  Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. A new study from Harvard University in the USA reveals that children benefit more from their father reading them bedtime stories.e Dads, the research revealed, spark more “imaginative discussions” and are more instrumental to their children’s language development because of the way they read to their kids. […]

How to read to babies without feeling silly!

I always read to my kids even from when they were babies. I read with no surprise that US paediatricians are urging parents to read to children from their earliest days  because parents who read to their children nurture more than literary skills. Babies whose fathers engage positively with them at three months old behave […]

25 Reading Strategies That Work

As a former Deputy Head teacher I am passionate about the power of being a confident reader with good comprehension. Reading empowers children as they can read for pleasure, read for information and have enormous confidence because of being able to read. Here is a great article showing you how to help your child from […]