At Woodley we believe that reading is key to your child’s successes throughout their time in school and beyond. We value the experiences they have at home, and aim to help each child to reach their potential through working together with you. Reading Information Meeting

How do we teach reading in school?  Through daily phonics activities  Through encouraging/developing their interest  Through guided reading sessions  Through appropriate pitching of activities

How do you teach phonics in school?  Revisit/review  Teach  Practise  Apply  Plus reinforcement through classroom activities

Daily Phonics Sessions  Take place first thing in the morning  Whole class teaching (and some small group work with LSA’s)  Structured lesson format  Fun and interactive

How do we teach phonics in school? Here are some fun examples… ntent_select/index/2/1/1/1#/c=2 42 Key Words with Makaton signs.

Guided Reading The teachers deliver guided reading in small groups which will be differentiated to meet your child’s needs. Here are some examples of questions we might ask during a session. You could do they same at home. Which way up? Where is the front cover? Where do I begin to read? What is a letter, word, space, heading etc?

Guided Reading What is an index/contents page? What are page numbers for and where do I find them? Is it fact or fiction? What is it’s purpose? Is it similar to something I’ve read before? What do I like/dislike about the book? What do I like/dislike about the text content?

But what do I do if my child is ‘stuck’ when reading?  Encourage them to say each sound they can see and then blend them together  Encourage them to have another try  Encourage them to ‘read around’  Do they already know this word? Have they seen it before?  Choose one or two methods but don’t spend too long  Tell them the word (can they remember it next time?)

How can we support our children’s reading at home?  Read to them daily and encourage/develop their interest  Make reading a daily treat  Education City activities  Constant praise and celebration  Let them see your love of reading  There is ALWAYS an opportunity for reading!

Try to use lower case where possible Ideas for activities at home Magnetic letters – you make words, child reads. Magnetic letters – child makes words Look for letters in words in books Reading real/alien words Look for letters/words in the environment Looking for objects beginning with the sounds Robot sounding out instructions Letter formation – writing in shaving foam/sand Matching games/memory games

So what happens now?  On a Wednesday they will bring school books and letters sounds or key words home(please keep these at home until the following Tuesday)  Look at the books together EVERY DAY and take time to discuss the story, setting characters  Read other texts with them also (join the library)  Let us know of any reading concerns or celebrations

As a parent you can offer time and individual attention. Your support with listening to your child read is crucial to their success in becoming an independent reader. TOGETHER we can make learning to read fun, creating confident, successful readers who love books!