Interest can make a child more willing to read, but the text still needs to be manageable. The aim is to find material they want to return to without choosing solely by reading level.

Start with the subject, not the format

Ask what your child wants to know about or enjoy. Try:

• a short novel or graphic novel;

• a comic or magazine;

• accessible non-fiction;

• instructions for a hobby;

• jokes, facts, reviews or sports reports.

Sample a page together. If nearly every sentence requires help, find something more accessible or agree that you will share the difficult sections.

Let your child choose

Offer two or three possibilities and let your child stop a book that has not captured their interest. An unfinished book is not a failure.

Read the opening together, take turns or supply an occasional difficult word. Then let your child continue with the parts they can manage.

Use the library to try different authors and formats without buying anything. BookTrust, a children’s reading charity, has a free Bookfinder where you can search for books by age and theme. Over time, notice which topics, layouts and text lengths lead to voluntary reading and offer something slightly more demanding when your child is ready.

Avoid turning every chosen book into a quiz. Enjoying reading, and reading more often, matter too.

Talamo has no commercial relationship with any of the organisations named here. We suggest them only because we think they could be useful to families.