We encourage all pupils to share a book at home with their grown-ups as we believe that this not only helps comprehension skills but also supports a lifelong love of reading. It is essential that pupils choose their own books to promote reading for pleasure. Pupils will work through the book colour bands and then become free readers.
As parents you are your child's most influential teacher with an important part to play in helping your child to learn to read.
Here are some suggestions on how you can help to make this a positive experience.
1. Choose a quiet time
Set aside a quiet time with no distractions. Ten to fifteen minutes is usually long enough.
2. Make reading enjoyable
Make reading an enjoyable experience. Sit with your child. If your child loses interest, then do something else and try again at a more positive moment.
3. Maintain the flow
If your child mispronounces a word, do not interrupt immediately. Instead, allow opportunity for self-correction. However, it is better to tell a child some unknown words to maintain the flow, rather than insisting on trying to build them all up from the sounds of the letters. If your child does try to 'sound out' words, encourage the use of letter sounds instead of 'alphabet names'.
4. Be positive
If your child says something nearly right to start with that is fine. Say 'Let's read it together' and point to the words as you say them. Boost your child's confidence with constant praise for even the smallest achievement.
5. Success is the key
Parents anxious for a child to progress can mistakenly give a child a book that is too difficult. This can have the opposite effect. Until your child has built up confidence, it is better to keep to books that your child can decode. A book with many unknown words can loose flow and be difficult for the reader to understand.
6. Visit the Library
Encourage your child to use the public library regularly.
7. Regular practice
Try to read with your child every day. Teachers have limited time to hear children read every day so it’s really helpful for parents to try and make the time too.
8. Communicate
Your child will have a RED reading diary from school. Try to communicate regularly with positive comments and any concerns. Your child will then know that you are interested in their progress and that you value reading.
9. Talk about the books
There is more to being a good reader than just being able to read the words accurately. It is just as important to understand what has been read. Always talk to your child about the book; about the pictures, the characters, how they think the story will end, their favourite part. You will then be able to see how well they have understood and you will help them to develop good comprehension skills.
10. Variety is important
Remember children need to experience a variety of reading materials e.g. picture books, hard backs, comics, magazines, poems, and information books.