Book 20

My Secret Book of Rules

by Geraldine Taylor and Derek Dwyer

Published 25 January 2001
If your life is one long list of rules, take a leaf out of my book! Spend a few minutes each day enjoying well written stories helps your child build confidence in reading. Books 17-20 of 'Read with Ladybird' are ideal for children who are starting to read for themselves. You can be confident that practising at home with 'Read with Ladybird' will support work done at home.



Learning to read is one of the most difficult and complex skills a human will ever learn to master. It is also the subject of great controversy and confusion. This book, which is divided by age using colour-coded pages for easy reference, aims to give guidance to parents and teachers who are keen to encourage and inspire their children. For each important developmental stage in a child's life the author identifies the major skills the child is developing. She highlights appropriate books for parents to share with their child; suggests games and activities to promote essential skills; gives ideas on how to make the best use of books; and highlights research and its implications for parents. Special attention is given to answer parents' common concerns on how reading is taught in schools; how to teach children to read before they go to school; how to encourage children who are struggling with their reading or misreading a word and what books should be chosen once a child has begun to read. Information is given on identifying dyslexia and which reading schemes are available should parents decide to teach a child to read themselves.
Topics covered include what is reading; how children make sense of print; the value of nursery rhymes; phonics; reading strategies; the importance of memory in reading; how parents can help at home; the most valuable pre-reading skills; and how to use pressure positively.


Peep's Asleep

by Jillian Harker and Geraldine Taylor

Published 1 August 1996


Alphabet Book

by Jillian Harker and Geraldine Taylor

Published 1 August 1996

Don't Do That, Mop!

by Jillian Harker

Published 1 August 1996

This guide through children's developments in Maths and English from pre-school to Key Stage 2 (3-11 years), describes National Curriculum requirements and gives ideas and activities for how they can be supported in the home. The book's message is that if children are comfortable with basic skills then they will be more confident when tackling more complicated and demanding work.