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Help your child to read non-fiction books

Reading with your child

Encourage your child to enjoy reading and writing about non-fiction topics with the following tips:

Take a trip

A trip to a museum, zoo, farm or park can boost your child's interest in non-fiction. Many museums are free to visit, or you may be able to use the local environment to support your child's interests. For example, if they love cars - find a good viewing spot to observe cars driving past and see how many different ones you can spot. Or if they're an animal lover, visit your local pet shop to observe and learn about different animals.

Design a quiz

Is there a particular topic your child is passionate about? Get them to write down and ask you a set of questions to test your knowledge on their chosen subject.

Think aloud when reading

When you’re reading a non-fiction book with your child, ask questions out loud as you read . Encourage them to think about what they found particularly interesting or strange, and what they might want to know more about. You can build on their interests from there!

Create your own non-fiction book

Read our guide to writing a non-fiction book with your child.

Visit the library

Libraries have excellent non-fiction sections which cover a huge number of topics. Visit with your child and pick out books for yourself and your child. You can then read them at home and discuss what you’ve discovered!

Boy reading with his parent