What should I read to my child?

Your child will probably help you with this as they like to choose what you will read to them. It could be an old favourite that you seem to have read every night for the past ten weeks, or it may be one that has caught their current interest. If you are selecting remember to include some factual (non-fiction) books so that real information is being shared rather than all imaginative fantasy type stories. Vary the themes of what you read and don't be scared to tackle stories with not so nice themes or outcomes. Children can learn from stories where others may be challenged or there is some adversity to overcome. For example if a story tackles the issue of bullying it may well be that the story or your subsequent discussion with your child supports them to learn new strategies to deal with difficult situations. Furthermore those scary nightmarish sort of stories often appeal to children who love to be scared from within a secure haven such as home or kindergarten AND children can tell whats real and whats make believe pretty accurately!