Written by Darcie, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist · Hello Kids Therapy Hub
You want to do something to help — and there are things that genuinely make a difference at home. Here's what's actually worth your time, and an honest word about when home practice has reached its ceiling.
These steps are well-supported by the research on early literacy. They won't replace specialist instruction if there's an underlying difficulty — but they are genuinely helpful alongside it.
10 to 15 minutes of reading practice each day, consistently, is more valuable than infrequent longer sessions. Keep it short enough to be sustainable and positive. End before the child is tired or frustrated.
Decodable readers — books where the text only contains letter-sound patterns the child has been taught — give your child practice that works with their phonics knowledge, not around it. More on these below.
When your child gets stuck, prompt them to look at the word from the beginning and say each sound. "What does that first part say?" gives more than immediately supplying the word. Avoid prompting with "look at the picture" — pictures don't build decoding skills.
Reading to your child — books above their independent reading level — builds vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of stories. It also separates the pleasure of books from the struggle of decoding, which matters for motivation.
Not all early reading books are the same. Many of the readers sent home from school are levelled or predictable books: they use pictures, repetition, and familiar patterns to help children appear to read. But appearing to read and actually decoding are different things — and children who learn to rely on context and pictures never properly build the phonics skills they need.
Decodable readers are written with a specific phonics sequence in mind. Each book only uses words built from letter-sound patterns the child has already been taught. This means the child can — and must — apply their phonics knowledge to decode the text. Guessing doesn't work, because the pictures don't give the story away.
For early readers and struggling readers, decodable books give the right kind of practice. They match the phonics your child is learning, which means every reading session is consolidating a real skill.
Ask your child's teacher or speech pathologist which decodable series aligns with the phonics sequence your child is working through.
Home practice is genuinely valuable — but it has limits. If your child has a significant underlying difficulty, consistent home reading practice won't be enough to close the gap on its own. It can help, but it can't replace targeted instruction delivered by someone who knows exactly where the gaps are and how to address them.
The signs that specialist support is likely needed include: reading that isn't progressing despite consistent effort at home and school; a child who is distressed or increasingly avoidant around reading; or a child who is reading significantly below what you'd expect for their year level by mid-primary.
Getting specialist support doesn't mean you stop doing things at home — it means the work you do at home becomes part of a larger, coherent plan.
If you would like to discuss whether Hello Learners is a suitable program for your child, please book a fifteen-minute conversation by phone with one of our speech pathologists. There is no fee for this conversation, and no obligation to enrol.
Term 3 spots are limited.
Or write to us at admin@hellokidstherapyhub.com.au.