Reading

Fostering a Love of Reading

One of the most important things we will do in school is teach your child to read. We hope to instil in children a love for reading and inspire your child with a range of texts as they begin their reading journey.

You, as a parent/carer, also play a very important role in developing your child’s love for reading. Showing your child that you enjoy reading a book, magazine or newspaper can help them to see the purpose for reading and encourage them to become a reader. 

Other ways to engage children as readers include listening to CD stories, visiting the library or book shop to choose their own books and sharing books with their siblings and other family members. There is strong evidence linking reading for pleasure and educational outcomes, but the benefits go beyond this and stretch throughout a person’s life. 

Reading in School

We would like to reassure you that your child reads with a teacher and teaching assistant regularly.  Children often believe that “reading” is when they are reading 1:1 with an adult; however, every child takes part in numerous reading activities across the curriculum and on a daily basis with both phonics and guided reading in Reception and Key Stage 1 and guided reading in Key Stage 2.

Learning to Read is not a Competition!

For some children learning to read will happen quickly and easily but, for others, it will take more time.

In school we follow Read, Write Inc, teaching children the sounds they need to read words as well as learning some tricky sounds which our phonics sounds can’t help us with. Books on the reading scheme help us to select reading material that is roughly appropriate to your child‘s reading ability, but the levels are only a guide. Within the book band levels, there are harder and simpler texts.  Sometimes your child will choose a simpler one, which will help them develop fluency and expression, and at other times they will enjoy a more challenging read.  Both are important.

Every child will move through the bands at a different rate and needs to be able to discuss and understand the book as well as read the words. Racing through book levels to get to the next can take the enjoyment out of reading. Your child‘s teacher will move your child onto the next book band when they feel they are ready, not when they have necessarily finished all the books on the level.

Children will need experience of a range of books and we are more than happy for children to read books from home as well as their reading book.

How Can I Help My Child with Reading?

As a parent you are probably already helping your child with reading much more than you realise!  If your home contains books, magazines and catalogues and your child sees you reading, if you read to your child and talk together about familiar stories, and if you also use printed materials to find things out, then your child already has a head start in this area.

• Talking about reading is very important so even if your child is sometimes reluctant to read aloud, discussing a book will also help to develop reading skills.
• Concentrate on enjoyment and grasping the meaning, rather than absolute accuracy.
• Keep reading time relaxed, comfortable and pleasurable, in a quiet corner, with the television turned off.
• Talk about the cover and read the title before rushing into the text, ask questions such as: what do you think it will be about, what sort of book is it, have you read one like this before?
• Look through the book noticing interesting pictures and words, then read the opening together.
• Don’t correct too quickly.  If your child makes an error suggest having another go, searching the pictures for a clue, sounding out the first letter or reading on before you “tell” the problem word.
• If your child is really struggling, take over the reading yourself and let the teacher know.
• When your child brings home a book that has been read before, ask for a summary before reading it again, then discuss the book at a deeper level than last time.
• If your child reads silently, ask him/her to re-tell the part that has been read and encourage the “pointing out” of relevant sections in the text.
• After your child has read a book, try and find some time to talk about what they have read. This helps with comprehension and ensures they think about what they have read. Encourage them to ask questions about anything which puzzles them and try to work out the answer together.
• Join your local library and use it regularly.  Watch out for storytelling events, summer reads and reviews of new titles.

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