Reading with your child

A guide for parents and carers

 Discover A Letter to Parents and Carers
The Pearson English Disney Kids Readers are a series of 36 graded readers for young
learners of English between the ages of 6 and 12 years. The length of the stories, the
language used to tell the stories, and the illustrations become more complex through the
Hello!
six levels. Every Reader comes with an eBook and Audiobook.
Firstly, let me congratulate you. You are, no doubt, a busy parent or carer
who has taken the time to think about reading with your child. Maybe you
already read with them and you’re looking for tips and ideas for making it more
meaningful. Or perhaps you don’t yet read with your child, but you’re curious to
find out what it is, and why it’s so important to your child’s whole development.
Whichever it is, you are in the right place.
As readers ourselves, we tend to forget that reading is not a skill that we are
Level 1 Level 2
born with, like speaking. It’s a skill that we must learn, and as with any skill,
some people just seem to catch on quicker than others. I’m a mother to two
Book: 24 pages Book: 24 pages lovely boys, and in my case, my eldest seemed to love books and storytime
Words: 5–10 words per page Words: 10–20 words per page and reading from the get-go. I remember when he was a tiny baby, he would
Language: Simple, one-clause sentences Language: One- and two-clause sentences; try and turn the pages of the book I was reading to him. Now in his teens, he is
basic direct speech an avid reader. In fact, I have to ask him to stop reading and do his homework!
However, the experience with my youngest son could not be more different.
When he was little, he never showed much interest in books—playing with a
ball or his action figures held much more appeal. Likewise, learning to read did
not come easily to him. To this day, I have to use my parent “superpowers” (see
pages 8–9) to get his nose into a book!
Why should I care so much that my children develop the habit of reading? Well,
firstly, as competent readers, they will be better equipped to navigate the world
in the information age. But more than that, children who read for pleasure
Level 3 Level 4 become more well-rounded citizens of the world! In addition to building
their vocabulary and understanding of how language works, they also have
Book: 32 pages Book: 32 pages increased general knowledge, more awareness of other cultures, and greater
Words: 20–40 words Words: 40–60 words per page empathy towards others. Which parent wouldn’t want that for their child?
Language: Some simple past tense is used; Language: All stories are written in the past
simple dialogs tense; more complex dialogs I hope this guide gives you the confidence to read together with your child.
There are so many benefits, as you will discover. Making time in your day to be
fully present with your child, to go on magical adventures together within the
pages of a storybook, this is what matters most.
Enjoy the magic!

Rachel Wilson
Series Editor for Disney Kids Readers
Level 5 Level 6

Book: 40 pages Book: 48 pages

Words: 60–80 words per page Words: 80–100 words per page
Language: The stories are divided into Language: The stories use a wide range of
chapters; paragraphs are introduced verb tenses

2 3
 Reading with Your Child: How & Why Building a Reading Habit

How can you encourage your child to read?

Parents have the greatest influence on a child’s life, particularly in the early, formative years.
How do you pick the right books for your child in English? Parents can help their child to develop a reading habit in three simple ways:
A simple answer is to use English graded readers, such as the Disney Kids Readers. Graded
readers are ideal because the words and language used to tell the stories are carefully
controlled. They are also divided into levels for beginner readers up to advanced readers in 1 By reading together 2 By making sure there 3 By being a good role
English. This means that your child will be able to understand and enjoy the story. with your child as are always books at model and reading
often as possible from home, either borrowed and talking about
Why does reading for pleasure matter? a very young age or bought books yourself

There is a wealth of research around the subject of children’s reading habits: how often they
read, what they read, what they think about reading, and crucially, what effect reading for
Establish a routine of reading together
pleasure has on their academic, social, and emotional development, now and in the future.
When we get into the habit of doing something, we often do it at around the same time
every day or every week. The same goes for reading together. You may like to read stories
at bedtime, or just after school, or on Sunday afternoons, but whenever you choose, it’s a
What are the immediate benefits
good idea to keep to the same time of day to build the routine.
to children who read daily?
they do better on school tests Create a positive mood for reading
they improve their reading, writing,
You want your child to associate reading with positive feelings of warmth and happiness.
listening, speaking, and grammar
When the time comes for reading together, find a comfortable place to sit, like the sofa, and
skills
get cozy with your child. Make sure that any distractions are put away (toys, food, drinks) or
they have a wider vocabulary switched off (TVs, music, video games) Then you can settle down, ready to read together.
they have a more positive attitude
towards reading Let them choose the book
they have increased
self-confidence as a reader If you have more than one reader at the same level, let your child choose which book they
want to read together. This has been proven to increase reading motivation in children. Do
this by showing them two or three books maximum and asking them to pick the story.

What are the future benefits to children who read daily? Not just for young children
they develop a life-long love of reading
We often assume that once our child can read fluently, there’s no place for reading
they have a better general knowledge together. In fact, there is no age or ability limit on reading together with your child. They
they have a better understanding of other cultures may be 12 years old and already a confident reader in English, but there are real benefits to
reading together sometimes.
they are more involved in their community
they have a greater insight into human nature and decision making By doing this, you are showing that you place an importance on reading and that you are
interested in what they are reading. This is motivating and helps to reinforce a love of
reading. It also gives your older child practice at their pronunciation and speaking fluency.
Hearing the sound of their own voice in English is great preparation for sharing and
presenting in class and beyond.
References:
Research evidence on reading for pleasure, 2012, Education standards research team, UK Department for Education
OECD (2021), 21st-Century Readers: Developing Literacy Skills in a Digital World, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, [Link]
a83d84cb-en.

4 5
 Reading Techniques

Read the Book Together

Storytime is a lovely way for parents to bond with their children. It’s the first step in building
a love of reading. There are three techniques for reading a story together. You can do all
three at different times, depending on their reading ability, or how your child is feeling on
that day.

Read the story to your

child—great if they are Independent Reading
feeling tired, or if they aren’t
yet reading. Use the audio When a child can read fluently, they are able to switch from reading aloud to reading silently
book or the eBook if you to themselves. At this stage, they become an “independent” reader. They start to read
don’t feel confident reading longer stories that are divided into chapters.
in English yourself
How can parents support independent readers?
As a parent, you still have an important role to play in helping your child develop a habit
of reading for pleasure. Here are some tips:

Help your child to set time aside to read

Share the reading with
your child—take turns Make sure they have a quiet place to read
to read parts of the story. Show interest in what they are reading by asking questions
This is fun and can take
Tell them something about a book that you are reading
the pressure off your child
knowing they don’t have Read together sometimes by asking your child to read as you listen
to read the whole book Encourage them to keep a reading diary
themselves

What is a reading diary?

Sometimes called a reading record, or journal, a reading diary allows a child to keep a
record of what they are reading. It’s a great way to stay on track with their reading routine.
Listen as your child reads Typically, there’s a space to write the date, the book title, the page numbers or chapter, and
the story—guide your child then several lines for them to write about what they have just read.
as they read the story. This is
perfect for times when your
See the template on page 12.
child wants to show you how
much they can read without
your help

6 7
 Reading Together 3 Explore the characters

Read about the In This Book Turn to the In This

characters in the Book page at the front
Roger
Whether you are reading to your child, sharing the reading, or listening to them read, story. A kind man from London
of the reader and look
it helps to divide the time into three stages: at the characters. Say
Anita the names together,
A kind woman from London
and then read the
description for each
Before reading While reading After reading Pongo
Roger's Dalmatian dog character.

Perdita
Anita's Dalmatian dog

Parent superpowers
Cruella De Vil
Let’s look at some tips and tricks you can use to get your child reading in the first place, to Anita's old classmate

keep them engaged while they are reading and, ultimately, to build a love of reading.
Sergeant Tibs
A helpful cat

Before You Read M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 3 03/09/2020 [Link]

Before you open the book to read, try to find a connection between the story and your
child’s life. By doing this, you are tapping into their interests, and helping them anticipate
what the story will be about, an important pre-reading skill.
Before You Read 4 Read the introduction
Let’s take an example. Introduction
101 Dalmatians is a story about Roger and Anita. They fall in love The Introduction is a teaser—it makes
and their dogs fall in love, too. They have a lot of puppies. They
us curious about what happens in the
1 2
are a happy family. Then the terrible Cruella De Vil comes to call …
Look at the book cover Read the book title story. Make predictions together about
Activities what you think might happen, e.g., I
Imagine you are Read the book title 1 Look at the pictures in the story, then read the sentences. wonder why Cruella De Vil is terrible. What
Say Yes or No.
about to read the together and ask 1 A Dalmatian is a white dog with black spots. do you think?
2 There are two Dalmatians in this story.
Disney Kids Level questions to spark 3 Cruella De Vil is very kind.

3 Reader 101 curiosity and to

4 There are some puppies in this story.

Dalmatians together. predict aspects of the 2 Look at the pictures on pages 12 and 13. Say the things
you can see.
Your family has a pet, story, e.g., How many 1 A cat

so you look at the puppies can you see? /

2 A puppy
3 A fur coat

front cover of the What’s a Dalmatian? / 4 A park

5 A truck
book and compare What kind of story do
these dogs to your you think this is? M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 4 03/09/2020 [Link]

family pet.
5 Do the activities

The Before You Read activities are a fun way to prepare

your child for some of the words and the language they
will read in the story. They don’t require any writing.

8 9
 While You Read After You Read
Pause to ask questions and to point things out in the pictures. Questions are a great way to It’s natural to share ideas and reactions to the story after you have read it together. Ask
engage your child and check that they are following along, e.g., Look! What’s Cruella wearing? questions like, Did you like the story? How many stars do you give it? What do you think
However, don’t break the flow of the story by over-analyzing each page, especially the first happens to Cruella De Vil?
time you read it together.
After You Read
1 Do the activities
1 Get help with the meaning of words 1 Look at the pictures in the story and find:
1 Pongo and Perdita sleeping
2 Pongo walking
3 Tibs the cat sitting
The After You Read activities are a fun way
4 Cruella smiling
to check that your child has understood
It’s perfectly normal for there to be a few words and phrases in the story that are unfamiliar 5 Puppies getting dirty

aspects of the story. They also reinforce

to your child. If they get stuck on a word, resist the urge to just tell them the word in their first 2 Read and say Yes or No.

some of the words and language from the

1 A puppy is a baby cat.

language. Instead, see if they can find the word in the Picture Dictionary (levels 1–3) or the
2 Anita loves fur coats.
3 Two bad men take the puppies to Cruella De Vil’s house.
4 Pongo and Perdita find their puppies. story. They don’t require any writing.
Glossary (levels 4–6) at the back of the book. Doing this extra step will help them to learn the 5 There are 107 puppies in this story.

word more deeply. 1

3 Match the sentences to the characters.
She likes fur coats. a Cruella
2 They have 15 puppies. b Tibs
3 He is a cat. c The two bad men
4 She loves Roger. d Pongo and Perdita
5 They take the puppies e Anita
to Cruella's house.

21

Picture Dictionary M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 21 03/09/2020 [Link]

fall in love 2 Read the extra pages at the back of the book

spot
Phonics
classmate puppy
The Phonics rhymes, Values comic strips, Global Citizenship
Say the sounds. Read the words.
play scrips and profiles, and the Find Out articles at the back
snow
ar ir of the reader are all linked in some way to themes or topics
car park bird dirty in the story. They are a great way for your child to read other
crash
or ur
types of material, including non-fiction.
fur bark hide
bored horse fur hurt

outside Say the rhyme.

Find Out
Birds in the park.
A horse in the dark.
Do you know?
A dog with curly fur
inside village Starts to bark.
• Chocolate makes dogs sick.

How much do you know about dogs? • Smaller dogs often live longer than bigger dogs.
24 • Some dogs have short fur. Some have long fur.
Dogs are the world’s favorite pet. They can see and smell very • A dog’s fur is called a "coat."
M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 24 03/09/2020 [Link]

22 23 well. They can hear much better than people can. They love to • There are over 340 kinds of dog.
go for walks.

M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 22 03/09/2020 [Link] M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 23 03/09/2020 [Link]

Values

2 Do some challenges as you read together Protect your friends.

Help us! We’re
looking for our
I have to help
puppies.
those puppies!

Adding a challenge—especially for reluctant readers—

really helps to keep them engaged. Remember to keep Okay
smell you use your nose to smell things
size how big or small a thing is

the mood light and fun, and be prepared for your child
to challenge you, as well!
26 27
M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 26 03/09/2020 [Link] M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 27 03/09/2020 [Link]
Come on, puppies.
Run faster! Shhhh, let’s hide
under here.

See pages 14–15 for a list of 10 challenges. The puppies are

okay. Thanks to
our friend Tibs!
25
M01_101_Dalmations_L3_9781292346748.indd 25 03/09/2020 [Link]

10 11
 Extra Activities Activities for Kids
Here are some hands-on activities that you can print and use to add a little sparkle to your
child’s reading routine. They can help with practical aspects Bookmark
of reading, like keeping track of
Reading Diary for Parents and Carers their place in a book. They can also guide your child to express their feelings about stories
Using a reading diary is a good way to keep track of the stories that you read together with and characters through what they draw and write. Choose your favorite book. Make a bookmark.

your child. Here is a template that you can copy and use. You can use the Notes section to
write down what your child thought about the story, any activities or challenges you used Make a Bookmark
during the reading session, or any new words that your child encountered. This diary can
also be used by independent readers to build a reading routine. With their own bookmark, your child is more likely to want to pick
up a book and read. They can base it on their favorite story as well
as draw a picture of their favorite scene. There is space for them My favorite book is

Pages / to write about their favorite character and any new words that
Date Book Title Level Notes
Chapter they have learned. I like this book. It is

The bookmark becomes not only a way to find a page, but it can My favorite character is

also engage your child in conversations about their reading in

English and make them feel like they are making progress. My four new words from this book are

Download Bookmark

Reading passport
My favorite part was
Create a Reading Passport
RT
SSPO
AD ING PA
MY RE

Asking your child to fill in a reading passport as they read a

because
.
The story was about

new book is a fun way to encourage reading. It can increase

Reader:
Date: .
The story made me feel
Today I finished reading

motivation by giving them clear and achievable goals.

because
.
I travelled to
.

.
I learned these new words:
I liked/did not like the book because

My favorite character was

. Each book allows your child to enter a different world. It
because
.
reminds them that they go on a journey through the pages of
a story. Once they have visited each place, they can complete
a new page in the passport and receive
Character a stamp.
profile
Download Reading Passport
Draw and describe your favorite character in a movie poster.

Create a Character Profile

Ask your child to choose their favorite character and produce a
movie poster about them. They can draw and write key details
about the character, such as name, age, physical appearance,
personality, and interests.
Character profile

This activity can be motivating for children, as seeing their My favorite character

favorite character in a different context is entertaining and Name: .

Age: .

engaging. Description:
is .
has .

Download Character Profile

Personality:
is .

Interests:
likes .
doesn’t like .

Download these and more activities from: [Link]/disneyreaders

12 13
 Reading Together Challenge 5 Draw a Picture
Let your child draw their favorite setting, scene, or character
from a story. Bonus points for describing their picture to a
member of the family!
One way to get your child excited about reading is to do the Reading Together Challenge.

© Disney/Pixar
Each challenge targets a different learning focus. However, the most important thing is for
you and your child to have fun together.
Each time your child completes a challenge, they can sign, stamp, or put a sticker on the
Challenge stamp card to create a collage they can be proud of. 6 Who Is It?
Play a game. Secretly pick a character from the story.
Download Stamp Card Say one thing to describe them, for example, “She’s tall.”
Challenge your child to guess who it is. Keep giving them

© Disney/Pixar
clues until they get it. Then swap roles and play again.
Do the Challenge!

1 Find the Picture

7 And … Action!
Challenge your child to find things in a story by looking
Let your child choose their favorite scene from a story. Read
at the illustrations. Say “Find a picture of a (tree)!” Set
it together, then act it out. Extra points for using props or
a time limit by counting to 10 as they search. Do this
costumes!

© Disney/Pixar
several times.

© Disney/Pixar
8 Reading Relay
2 Where Am I?
From the first page, take it in turns to read passages of a
Begin reading at the top of a page, and then stop
story. When your child is ready to hand the reading over
suddenly. Say “Where am I?” Challenge your child to
you to, they can say “Pass!” Keep passing the reading back
point at the word where you stopped reading. Do this
and forth until you get to the end of the story.
several times.
© Disney/Pixar

© Disney
9 Say It Again
3 Mime Time
Choose a short line of dialog from a story and read it
Choose a page of a story with plenty of action. Read, together with expression. Then challenge your child to say
pausing after each sentence. Challenge your child to the line again in different ways, for example, using a quiet,
do a mime for each sentence that you read out. loud, happy, sad, or silly voice.

© Disney/Pixar
© Disney

4 A Is for Apple
10 What’s It About?

© 2021 Disney/Pixar
Challenge your child to find words in a story that
Challenge your child to tell someone else in the family
begin with a specific letter of the alphabet. Say “Find a
about a story. Bonus points for doing it in English!
word beginning with (s)!” Bonus points if they can read

© Disney/Pixar
© Disney

the word, too. Do this several times.

14 15
 /HYHOȲ Level 2 Level 3

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Disney Cinderella 9781292346625 Disney The Jungle Book: Disney 101 Dalmatians 9781292346748
Mowgli Meets Baloo 9781292346687
Disney Dumbo 9781292346632 Disney PIXAR A Bug’s Life 9781292346755
Disney The Little Mermaid:
Disney PIXAR Finding Nemo: Disney Tangled 9781292346762
Nemo in School 9781292346649 Ariel and the Prince 9781292346694
9781292346700 Disney PIXAR Toy Story 2 9781292346779
Disney Peter Pan 9781292346656 Disney PIXAR Toy Story
9781292346717 Disney PIXAR Coco 9781292346786
Disney PIXAR Coco: The Story of Dante 9781292346663 Disney Frozen
9781292346724 Disney Frozen II 9781292346793
Disney Frozen: Olaf Likes Summer Disney PIXAR Monsters University
9781292346670
Disney PIXAR Finding Dory 9781292346731

Level 4 Level 6

Level 4 Level 5 Level 6

Disney The Lion King 9781292346809 Disney PIXAR Ratatouille 9781292346861 Disney Atlantis: The Lost Empire 9781292346977
Disney PIXAR Toy Story 3 9781292346816 Disney PIXAR WALL-E 9781292346878 Disney PIXAR UP 9781292346922
Disney PIXAR Brave 9781292346823 Disney Big Hero 6 9781292346885 Disney Ralph Breaks the Internet 9781292346939
Disney PIXAR Inside Out 9781292346830 Disney PIXAR Toy Story 4 9781292346892 Disney Zootopia 9781292346946
Disney Moana 9781292346847 Disney Alice in Wonderland 9781292346908 Disney Maleficent 9781292346953
Disney PIXAR Incredibles 2 9781292346854 Disney Beauty and the Beast 9781292346915 Disney PIXAR Onward 9781292346960
© 2021 Disney/Pixar. All rights reserved.

Every Reader comes with an eBook and Audiobook.

[Link]/disneyreaders