Supporting Your Child With Reading
11 Sep 2023
Supporting Your Child With Reading
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.
There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:
A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.
A sharing book. Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.
Reading Practice Book
Your child will bring home a phonics book that they have read in school and that will only contain sounds they have previously learnt. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.
Listen to them read the book more than once during the week. When children read the same story multiple times, they pick up new information, gain a deeper understanding of the book and make connections between themselves and the book.
Here are some things you could do on different days when your child is reading their book to you.
- Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them.
- After they have finished, talk about the book together (you could use the questions at the back).
- Encourage them to read with lots of expression including changing the tone of voice when a character is speaking.
- Talk about unusual or interesting words. Use the words in new sentences.
- Ask your child to retell the story in their own words using appropriate story language (i.e. making it sound like a story but use their own words rather than reading)
- Get them to read the book to another member of the family or a favourite toy.
Sharing Book
In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book (from our class library) is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.
Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!