1. Presentation to Parents and carers September 2017
Reading
Presentation to Parents and carers
September 2017

2. Why are we changing the way we approach reading?
National Curriculum reading objectives 2014
Reading for Meaning
Since the introduction of the new National Curriculum there has been a greater emphasis on understanding and comprehension of reading as well encouraging children to enjoy reading.
Our children are very good at reading technically – they use their phonics well to decode words but sometimes the meaning of what they are reading is lost which has a huge impact on them as they progress throughout their education.
Y2 end of year expectations

3. How can you help?
We want reading to be something to be shared and enjoyed so we are asking people at home to read an increasing range of texts with their children.
Sharing: you reading to them as well as them reading to you.
Discussion: talking about the pictures in a book, asking questions as you progress through a book and encouraging the children to question too.
Reflection: Sharing ideas and thoughts about what they have read/looked at.

4. Banded reading
Book banding was introduced to grade children’s reading level. They are used by teachers to assess where a child is in terms of their reading ability.
A child should be reading a book independently at 95% accuracy with increasing fluency and understanding – this is not using phonics to decode words, hesitating at a word or being told what a word is – I call this reading with automaticity.
Every child develops at their own level and some children can find that book bands stifle their enjoyment of reading and stress levels rise, particularly when they know that a friend is on a ‘higher’ level than them.

5. ‘Real’ books Banding guidance
Children need the opportunity to experience a range of reading materials – non-fiction, recipes, magazines, internet, audio books etc.
We want to provide opportunities for the children to have more choice in their reading, why should they be ‘limited’ to bookbands?

6. What we would like you to do
Every Friday your child will come home with a book that has been selected by them with the teacher’s assistance that should be at the right level of reading difficulty for them. (When a child moves onto a different colour band there may be a period of adjustment)
Early readers: Talk to your child about the cover of the book, ask them questions about what they think it might be about. Go through the book (without reading it!) looking at pictures encouraging them to talk about familiar/unfamiliar things.
You could then read the book to your child initially, pointing out key words that your child could recognise. Talk to them about the content of the ‘story’, what has happened, ask them to predict the ending or what might have happened.
If the book has one or two key words in it, talk about what these look like, the shape and composition of the word.

7. What we would like you to do
More confident/fluent readers: again warm up the text by asking questions prior to reading.
Share the reading, you read a page, the child reads a page.
Talk about their understanding of a book – you read to them and then ask questions about what they have been listening to

8. What we would like you to do
Re-read this book over the course of a week then return it on a Friday to be changed. The teachers and other adults will be hearing your child read in school so can make judgements on when to move them onto a different book band.
Throughout the week provide opportunities for your child to read and listen to other materials. Compare these with your child – how are they the same/different? What do you like/dislike about them? Why?

9. What we would like you to do
Share the joy of reading in a relaxed environment away from daily pressures!
Take time to complete reading activities at home
Reading sessions at school – would this be something of interest to parents?
Observing phonic lessons?