20070603 Many parents find even the thought of teaching their own children daunting either because they don't have the necessary knowledge or lack confidence in their own abilities.

This book will give you both the knowledge and the confidence.

Dr Wyse explains how parents can nurture and encourage early abilities, helping their children’s
reading and writing skills flourish from birth to 11.

By following the advice and strategies outlined, not only will you give your child a head start at school but also you will be showing him the way to a lifetime’s reading and writing pleasure.

Packed with ideas, strategies and insights, this book will help parents get involved with their children’s learning by:
  • understanding the process by which we learn to read and write;
  • encouraging and nurturing a child’s innate curiosity and need to communicate;
  • presenting ideas and activities to underpin the child’s learning;
  •  using phonics and other tactics to help their skills develop;
  • supporting writing skills with the basics of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Each chapter in the reading section includes a list of the best books for that age. As well as recommending specific books, Wyse also explains why books like Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and authors like Jacqueline Wilson have an enduring appeal for children and are brilliant for helping them learn new words and ways to read, enabling parents to make informed choices about the books they and their child choose to read.

In the writing section Wyse shows how even the earliest scribbles of your child are in fact their first steps to learning to communicate through pen and paper.

Throughout the book there are helpful pointers for parents, backed up by descriptions of Wyse's experiences with his own children as well as his professional expertise.

The book concludes with a break-down of what children need to be able to do in the Key Stage 2 English SATs.

This is an excellent and informative book - the only one you'll ever need to help your children with reading and writing.

Dr Dominic Wise is a lecturer in Primary and Early Years Education at Cambridge University.

Published by Prentice Hall, to order a copy from Amazon click below

How to Help your Child Read and Write: A Groundbreaking Guide for Every Parent of Children from Birth to Eleven Years20070603