The purpose of reading with children is not only to develop word level (decoding) skills, but to also improve comprehension (understanding). As explained on the English webpage, children are taught to read through phonics and progress systematically through our phonics programme, ensuring that they read books with complete success. Though there may be a temptation to progress quickly through books, the most valuable approach to reading at home is to spend quality time looking at a book in detail and enjoying it with your child. Please see our ‘Whole School Approach to Reading’ handout below for more detail.
What can I do as a parent to help support my child's reading?
The most important role you can play is to model good listening; showing interest and enjoyment in the reading process. When reading with your child, take time to ask them some questions about what they have read. For example:
Resources
In addition to the books children bring home for phonic practice, we also have ‘Bug Club’ online for you to read with your child, which you can log onto at www.activelearnprimary.co.uk . Your class teacher will provide you with a log in and your child will have their ‘virtual book bag’ filled with texts for them to read at their level. This website is an invaluable resource and has useful functions like ‘read aloud’ and comprehension questions to answer as your child is reading.
Other useful links
Top 10 tips for hearing your child read - a summary on how to take those first steps together.
KS1 Bitesize from the BBC - fun and games that teach literacy across the board, from spelling to rhyming words.