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Jim Sells, manager of the Reading Stars programme at the National Literacy Trust, agrees that just 10 minutes a day reading with children can make a huge difference to their reading - and be great fun. "Find out what they like, help them find suitable reading material, and spend 10 minutes a day reading with them," he advises. "Just that short time will make a massive difference, and it will probably be some of the best minutes of their day."
And for slightly older children who need more motivation to read, the Reading Stars programme, hopefully combined with a bit of reading with mum or dad, could be exactly what's needed to spark their interest. "Parents have a huge impact on their child's motivation and ability to read and it's great to see so many of our Reading Stars, who are also dads, share their love of reading and books," says Sells. "Using football as a hook to get children to enjoy reading gives them a significant uplift in reading levels, helping them to succeed at school and gain vital skills for the future. The idea is to show them there's reading out there they can enjoy - most of the children we work with don't feel there's any reading which is relevant or of interest to them, and this programme aims to change that mindset and show there are books they can be really excited by."
The Reading Stars programme is aimed at children aged between seven and 15 years, but parents seeking help to improve the reading of younger children may gain inspiration from the new free online guide How To Help Your Child To Read: 30 Ways In 30 Days, published by the reading products company LeapFrog, and compiled by the educational expert and editor of The Good Schools Guide, Janette Wallis.
The tips include: * Set a daily time to read to your children and try to stick to it. We can all be too exhausted for reading at bedtime - what about first thing in the morning, or immediately after dinner? n Hang a family message board in the kitchen. Leave simple notes for one another with plenty of illustrations. n Plan a family book club. Everyone reads the same book (or has it read to them). Then get together over popcorn
to discuss the story. n As children learn to read themselves, consider allowing them to stay up a bit later as a treat - so long as it's reading time. n For more information about Premier League Reading Stars, visit www. literacytrust.org.uk/premier_league_ reading_stars
* For the 30 Ways In 30 Days guide, visit www.leapfrog.com/en-gb/ products/reading-family
* Parents have a huge impact on their child's motivation and ability to read