Gentle tips for tired parents, busy evenings and reluctant readers.

As a teacher, I can confidently say that reading is one of the most important gifts we can give a child. Long before they can speak, their little brains are already soaking up language, expression, tone, and vocabulary from the world around them. Speech development, comprehension, vocabulary growth — the research behind reading is endless.

Studies into early language development consistently show that children who are regularly read to and engaged in conversation from a young age develop stronger vocabulary, comprehension, and literacy skills over time. Exposure to language truly matters, (For those interested, look up the “30-million-word gap” study by Betty Hart and Todd Risley).

But…

As a parent, I also completely understand how difficult homework and home reading can feel after a full day of school, work, sport, dinner, baths, missing library books, and someone suddenly needing a cardboard box for a project due tomorrow morning.

So here are a few things I often recommend to families who are struggling with homework or reading at home.

1. Don’t force it

I know it can feel stressful when homework comes home and your child refuses to read. As parents, we naturally feel responsible. But one thing we never want is for children to associate reading with negative feelings.

Learning to read is hard work.

Reading should feel safe, enjoyable, and encouraging — not like a nightly battle worthy of reality television.

If your child doesn’t want to read their reader independently:

• read it to them
• take turns reading pages or sentences
• use funny voices
• Only read a few pages, it doesn’t have to be the whole book!

(Trust me, nothing improves fluency quite like Dad’s dramatic dinosaur voice.)

You can also play little games such as:

• “Fast finger! Can you find a word that starts with the ‘s’ sound?”
• “Can you spot a sight word?”
• “Find the rhyming word!”

Small moments still count as valuable reading practise.

2. Create positive routines

Children thrive on predictability, even when they act like tiny union representatives protesting every instruction you give. In our house, we usually get home, have a snack, and start homework. I’ve found the longer we leave it, the more tired and overwhelmed everybody becomes. For other families, after dinner or before bed works better.

There’s no perfect formula — just find your groove and try to stick with it. Consistent routines help children know what to expect and often reduce resistance dramatically.

3. Sometimes, it’s okay to skip it

If you’ve got swimming, football, dance, gymnastics and somehow also need to locate a missing school hat by 8pm… give yourself some grace. Children — especially in the early years — are exhausted after a full day at school. If they’re trying to decode words after a busy evening of activities, fatigue can take over quickly. Sometimes pushing through when everyone is overwhelmed can actually do more harm than good. Do what you can. That is enough.

4. Teachers are humans too

This might surprise some people, but teachers generally understand that family life can be chaotic. Most teachers don’t want homework to become a source of stress in the home. In fact, many schools only provide homework because some families actively request it.

And no — your child is not going to fail the year because they missed one night of home reading.

Children absolutely need opportunities to practise skills they learn at school, so they can transfer them into everyday life. But homework should support learning, not create misery for the entire household.

In Reception to Year 2, homework is usually light and focused on:

• reading
• sight words
• simple skill practise

As children get older, homework gradually increases. But importantly, homework should not be new learning. It should be concepts already taught at school and simply strengthened at home.

If you’re ever unsure, ask your child’s teacher. Some helpful questions include:

• What is the purpose of this homework?
• Will the homework be marked?
• How will it support my child’s learning?
• Approximately how long should this take?

Reading matters more than perfection

At the end of the day, the goal is not perfection. The goal is helping children develop a positive relationship with books, stories, and language. If all else fails, find a book you both enjoy and read together before bed.

Perhaps ‘Where Could Bunny Be?’ 😜

You could even ask your child where they think Bunny might be hiding to help strengthen their text-to-self connections. (More on the importance of text connections in a future blog post!)

A few extra reading tips

For younger children

Rhyming books are wonderful. They’re engaging, predictable and fantastic for building language awareness and early literacy skills. Plus, children love joining in once they recognise the pattern — and honestly, there’s nothing cuter than hearing them “read” along proudly.

For older children

Finding the right series can completely change reluctant readers into enthusiastic ones. A trip to the local library to ‘test out’ what they like with the hopes of buying a copy for home can be a great incentive!

Don’t forget audiobooks!

Audiobooks absolutely count as reading exposure too. They help develop:

• vocabulary
• comprehension
• listening skills
• imagination

If you’d like to check understanding afterwards, ask simple questions such as:

• Who were the main characters?
• Why do you think they did that?
• How do you think they were feeling when…?
• What would you have done differently?

These little conversations can be incredibly powerful.

Final thoughts

Homework shouldn’t feel like hard work for you or your child.

Be kind to yourself. Be patient with your children. Do what you can within your family’s capacity.