The Importance of Reading

 · Every parent has an important role to play in helping their child to read. Research shows that this makes a huge impact on your child’s progress, especially if you start when your child is young. Being a good reader will help your child to access many areas of the curriculum eg. maths problems. To be good at writing, you need to be a good reader

Encouraging Reading

 · Read yourself - newspapers, magazines or books

· Value books and keep them safe

· Show enthusiasm for books and reading

 · Talk about your favourite books

 · Visit the library

 · Make time for reading together - not just at bed time

 · End each day with bed time reading

 · Help your child to understand and enjoy reading

 · Be patient and unhurried - show that you’re happy to spend the time together

Top Tips

 *Be positive

 *Turn off the TV

 *Give them time

 *Point with a finger

 *Use a reading ruler

 *Don’t make them try too hard

 *Let them read their favourites

*Ask questions

*Listen actively

*Give lots of praise

*Don’t read for too long - be aware of your child’s mood

 *Remind your child that it’s OK to make mistakes

*HAVE FUN

Talking About the Pictures

Try to get your child to tell you what they can see. Ask them if the picture helps them to work out what is going to happen next. Get them to name the characters and objects they can see. Encourage them to say the words that are in the text (and what they mean)

Ask questions

*Ask questions using Who? What? Where? When? Why? And How? At the beginning.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Read With Your Child

· Creates a bond Spending time reading to your children will bring you closer together.

 · Expands vocabulary The more children read, the more words they learn. This will continue to help them with their writing as they move through the school and even when they get to high school

. · Improves attention span Reading helps children concentrate for longer.

· Increases self-esteem Stories with happy endings make children feel better.

 · Increases academic success Every child is taught the same way at school - it’s the extra learning at home that can give them an edge.

· Teaches social values Children can learn from the way that characters in stories treat one another.

· Helps build empathy Story books help children imagine what it must be like to be someone else.

 · Encourages curiosity Every time they turn the page, there’s something new to see or imagine.

· Encourages independence Once children learn to read, they can start reading books all by themselves.

 · Your child will become a reader for life They may forget how to ride a bike, but they’ll never forget how to read!

PAUSE...PROMPT...PRAISE… When your child is reading aloud and makes a mistake….

PAUSE

· Give them 5 seconds to correct themselves, or to make an attempt to read the word.

PROMPT

· If the word is not read correctly, you could give one or more prompts.

· Give the word to them.

· Remind them of a picture clue.

 · Review what went on before.

· Encourage them to look ahead.

· Explore the thinking behind their guess.

· Encourage them to look at the shape/the ending/the middle of the word.

 · Break the word into syllables.

PRAISE

· Praise correct reading of a difficult word.

· Praise an attempt at getting the word correct even if it’s not successful.

· Be specific when praising.

 · Comment on the use of context.

· Praise for carrying on.

· Praise for using phonic clues.

· Find opportunities to discuss difficult words or parts of words so that your child can practise and learn.

Top tips for reading with older children

*Retrieving- Engage in comprehension monitoring – does you child understand what they have read? • Can they understand the causal link between desires, motives, actions, goals and consequences? • For retrieval questions the answer is in the text. • Children need to skim and scan for key words using their magic finger.

*Inferencing- Children have to search for hidden clues in the text (often show not tell e.g. her mouth dropped open). • Relies on own understanding of world / experiences and on understanding of language. How did Ahmed feel? Sukie was a stubborn character. True or false? Why did the man feel impatient? In what way was the gang like a family?

*Prediction-What might children predict? • Do you think Rachel is likely to go swimming again? • Will Rachel listen to her grandmother in the future? • Do you think Rachel and George will remain friends? Why? How do you know?