Parent Reading Workshop Reception classes Wednesday 16 th September Help us to help your child become a brilliant reader!

Reading in Reception This week your child has been given their first reading book and a reading diary. Reading books will be changed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Your children are encouraged to choose their own books, however we will support them to ensure they try to choose different books each time. Your child will also have the opportunity to read with a staff member during school time each week. On the days that they do not bring home a new book, we encourage you to share a book or comic from home. They will soon be bringing library books home also! Each time you read with your child we ask that you write the date and a comment in their reading diaries.

Books in Reception The first books your child brings home will be picture books (with no words). We ask that you look at the books with your child and talk about the pictures, characters, settings, and encourage them to tell you a story from what they see. After they have completed these they will move on to ‘first words’ books, followed by ‘first sentences’ and then longer stories. Non-fiction books are also available to be chosen. A selection of books are on your tables, please take a look.

Reading techniques taught at school Our main method for teaching the reading of words at school is through Phonics. We take a word and segment it, saying each letter sound, and then blend it back together to make the whole word. Example cat segmented to c-a-t blended back to cat dog segmented to d-o-g blended back to dog Some words can not be segmented in to sounds when reading. These are called ‘tricky words’ and are simply words that have to be learnt on their own. Example the you my

Questions to ask when reading Where does the story take place? Who are the characters? What do they look like? What happens in the story? Tell me what happened when... How do you think the character feels? If this was you, what would you do next? What do you think is going to happen next in the story? What was your favourite part? Why? Who was your favourite character? Why? Did you like the story? Why/why not? Has anything like this ever happened to you? Were there any funny or sad parts? *These are the kind of questions we ask your child when they read with us at school. They help us to know if they understand the story.

Top tips Choose a quiet time Set aside a time with no distractions. Make reading enjoyable Try not to pressure your child if they are reluctant. If they lose interest during reading then take a break. Be positive If your child says something ‘nearly right’ to start with that is fine. If they get stuck, read the word together. Give plenty of praise. Be patient Learning to read can be a challenge so try to be patient and persevere. Make sure they also know to be patient and that it doesn’t matter if they get things wrong. Regular practise Try to read with your child each school day. Little and often is best – it is ok to just read one or two pages a night.

Top tips Success is the key When keen for your child to progress they may be mistakenly given a book that is too difficult. This can have a negative effect on the child’s confidence and then make reading an un-enjoyable experience. Visit the library Encourage your child to visit the local library and choose a book that they find interesting or that is related to their learning at school. Variety Children need to experience a range of reading materials; picture books, comics, magazines, poems and information books. Any reading is good reading. Communicate Communicate regularly with your child’s teacher with positive comments and for any support.

Going for gold! At Matchborough First School Academy we run the ‘Going for gold’ reading reward scheme. Children gain certificates each half term for reading at home. 15 reads = Bronze certificate 20 reads = Silver certificate 25 reads = Gold certificate and a ‘Reading teddy’ We count the number of times you have signed your child’s reading diary to work out which certificate they have achieved.

Any questions? Thank you for your continued support !