Teach your digital native to read and write: A guide for parents

Young people today are known as 'digital natives'. Constant exposure to digital devices is even changing the way that they think, learn and relate to others. Digital technologies mean we do, in fact, engage with the written word more than ever before, yet reading and writing can lack relevance in young people's lives. Many parents want to support their child with learning to read and write but are unsure where to start. Which literacy skills are needed in our digital age? How can you tempt young people away from their digital devices to learn these? How do you ensure digital devices are helping rather than hindering learning?

All of these questions and more are answered in 'Teach your Digital Native to Read and Write', an essential guide for any parent or carer wanting to know how to support their 'digital native' to read and write in the 21st century.

• Are e-books as useful as paper books?
• How can I support my child with the phonics being taught in school?
• Are handwriting and spelling still necessary skills in the era of digital devices and predictive texting?
• How can I support my older child who is finding literacy difficult or a dyslexic child?
• How can I support my child with reading and writing tasks?
• And is it even possible to make reading as engaging for my child as computer games and mobile phones?

This is a must-have book for any parent wanting to support their 21st century child to develop effective literacy skills needed to succeed academically, personally, socially and in employment.

Overview of contents:

Chapter One: Digital Natives
Chapter Two: What is literacy?
Chapter Three: Pre-reading skills
Chapter Four: Phonics
Chapter Five: After Phonics - Becoming a Skilled Reader
Chapter Six: Handwriting
Chapter Seven: Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar
Chapter Eight: Writing - the Bigger Picture
Chapter Nine: Supporting your Older Child or Teenager
Chapter Ten: Digital Literacy

The author, Victoria Honeybourne, has a background in education and is a senior advisory teacher with a local authority. She has spoken at national events and has written several other education books.