1 Reading Presentation November 2015

2 Aims of presentation To inform you about what we do at school To enable parents to better support children’s reading at home

3 Gathering evidence Through guided reading Listening to the child read Through assessments Through children’s work in English Through the tasks and tests (SATs)

Here are some of the terms we use when we talk about reading. Blend The process by which individual sounds are pushed together to make a word (eg c-a-t) Diagraph Two graphemes that together make one phoneme (eg ck, ng, ph, kn, qu). Environmental print Writing in our environment, such as signs that say Tesco or push and pull. Grapheme What a letter looks like when it’s written.

Initial sound The first phoneme in a word (eg h in hamster or ph in photo). Misconceptions When a child has misunderstood or mislearnt something. Multi-sensory Using more than one sense. Phoneme The sound a letter makes. Segment The process by which words are broken down into individual sounds (eg cat -> c-a-t).

6 Levelling Children’s reading Levels assigned to every child at the end of the school year (given in report) These are based on teacher assessment and test results Some tasks and tests are given to moderate teacher assessment The emphasis is on teacher assessment

Supporting your child/ren at home

Helping your child with reading Reading with your child is vital. Research shows that it's the single most important thing you can do to help your child's education. It's best to read little and often, so try to put aside some time for it every day. Think of ways to make reading fun - you want your child to learn how pleasurable books can be. If you're both enjoying talking about the content of a particular page, linger over it for as long as you like. Books aren't just about reading the words on the page, they can also present new ideas and topics for you and your child to discuss.

Tips for helping your child to enjoy books: Visit the library Schedule a regular time for reading - perhaps when you get home from school or just before bed. Buy dual-language books if English isn’t your family’s first language You can talk about books and stories, and develop a love for them, in any language. Look for books on topics that you know your child is interested in - maybe dragons, insects, cookery or a certain sport.

Maintain the flow If your child mispronounces a word do not interrupt immediately. Instead allow opportunity for self-correction. 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 rather than 'alphabet names'.

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 to the one they are wanting. Remember 'Nothing succeeds like success'. Until your child has built up his or her confidence, it is better to keep to easier books. Struggling with a book with many unknown words is pointless. Flow is lost, text cannot be understood and children can easily become reluctant readers.

Talk about the books There is more to being a good reader than just being able to read the words accurately. Just as important is being able 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.

Variety is important Remember children need to experience a variety of reading materials eg. picture books, hard backs, comics, magazines, poems, and information books.

14 School Diary & Books I Have Read This for home and school to record what your child has read and also to comment on their reading. Obviously we would always welcome positive comments. Some parents have said they are never sure what to write. Here are a few suggestions that we would find helpful and I’m, sure your child would appreciate. We took it in turns to read the pages. We practised the rhyming words for fun. Very good expression. Well done! Only 2 pages of reading today so we discussed the pictures too. This book was easy to read straight through. We discussed what might happen next. We are looking out for capital letters and full stops. This week we chose some books from the library. There are ch and sh sounds to practise in this book. Very clear independent reading today.

SUPPORTING THE CONFIDENT READER Confident readers have reached the stage where they no longer wish to read to an adult and want to read silently to themselves. The interaction between the parent and child changes at this stage. To ensure that the child's reading development continues to move forward, we would encourage parents to question the child about what they are reading, at an appropriate time, to extend their reading and share their enjoyment of the book.

Questions answered What do I do if my child picks a book that is too hard? You could read part of it and talk about the ideas and pictures. Children can enjoy more difficult books than they can read on their own. How can I find the right book? Listen to your child and find out what sort of books he or she enjoys. Ask other parents and your child’s teacher for tips on what to read. Find out about recommended books at libraries, bookshops and on book websites.

Is it all right to read to my child in my first language? It’s great for children to hear stories and rhymes in the language that is spoken at home. Children are much better than adults at dealing with two languages.

A few things to remember Variety is great. Encourage your child to read the things that interest them. This could include comics, magazines, joke books, poetry and books about pets or sport. Find the time to look at any book that comes home from school and share your child’s favourite books with them.

Useful websites o.uk/ o.uk/ urces/flash.php?&file=ww urces/flash.php?&file=ww - Jolly Phonics - contains ideas to help at home - school section (words and pictures for phonic activities) junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/online story.htm junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/online story.htm tm tm —nursery rhymes

Thank you for coming. I hope that you have found the information useful. If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s teacher or myself.