Information from our Reading Evening for parents and carers at Sea Mills Primary School.

1. How to develop your child’s reading
An information session for parents

2. “The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
the more places you'll go.”
Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With
My Eyes Shut!

3. A great book (was it written
for a child or adult, or
both?)
A weekly magazine
The IKEA catalogue
The local paper
The holiday brochure
Do you have a favourite read?

4. It reminds me of...
I can forget everything
else...
I can imagine that...
I can learn more about...
I can be someone else...
Why is it so special?

5. Was it a positive experience?
Who taught you to read?
Research undertaken by Literacy
Matters states that over 80% of
those surveyed believed that their
parents taught them to read.

6. Aims for this evening:
1) To explain how we teach
reading in school.
2) To find out more about
what you can do to help
your child learn to read.

7. Stage 1
Pre-reading
Even before your child can read it is important
that you share books with them.
What children can do: turn the pages, hold the
book. Talk about the pictures.
How you can support: read books to them, talk
about the picture.

8. Getting started
• Make sure the book is flat on the table as
children will need their hands to point.
• The child is in charge of the book. Adults can
read the title and introduce, the child should
be doing all the reading.
• The adult can tell the child a tricky word, but
encourage them to use strategies they know.

9. Initial reading
What the child can do:
• Read simple repetitive books.
• Read key vocabulary identified through the
pictures.
• Read high frequency words.
• Say the first sound in a word.
How you can support:
• Getting them to predict what may happen next
and comment on the story.
• Ask them to identify a letter or a word.

10. Stage 2
What the child can do:
• Have an increasing vocabulary – high frequency and
text specific words.
• Children can sound out words.
c a t cat
How you can support:
• More discussion around the book.
• Read the book first to spot tricky vocabulary and
discuss with your child first.

11. Blending
Sometimes 2 letters make one sound
e.g. ch, th, sh
When the child reads shop, they read
sh o p shop
not s h o p

12. How you can support:
• Get your child to do the work!
• Encourage children to use the picture clues.
• Encourage children to listen to the sentence
they have just read – does it sound right?
• Allow the child to continue reading if they
make a mistake – can they self correct?
• You can re-read the sentence as the child read
it. Can the child identify what went wrong?

13. What you child can do:
• They can recognise and identify punctuation
and know what it means.
How you can support:
• Demonstrate pausing for commas, using
expression for exclamation marks and
changing your voice for speech marks.

14. What your child can do:
• Children can be fluent for 2 – 3 word phrasing
I am a cat. I am a dog. I am a frog.
How you can support:
• Model reading with and without fluency.
• Ask your child, “Can you read this more
quickly?”.

15. Stage 1 and 2
Comprehension Questions
• How is this character feeling?
• What might happen next?
• How would this feel if it happened to you?
• Why do you think this happened?
• What did you think about this?
• Where did this take place?
• When did this happen?

16. • Why did you choose this book?
• Do you know any of the characters in this
story?
• What do you do if you get stuck on a word?
• Do you like this book? Why?
• What books has your teacher read at school?
• Do you think you are a good reader?
• Who is your favourite author?

17. • Setting
• Character
• Events
Who is the author?
What is an illustrator?
Where would we find the blurb?

18. Read everything!
• All children, including young children, should
be reading fiction and non-fiction books. They
can read poetry, comics, magazines,
catalogues, cereal packets, road signs, signs in
supermarket aisles…

19. Reading behaviours
You should have had these sent home and they
are in your child’s green book. There are spare
copies at the back of the hall. Please take the
one for your child’s book colour.

20. Stage 3
By the time children reach KS2, our aim is that they
are becoming more confident readers, who read
both for pleasure and for information.
They should be developing a range of strategies to
work out unfamiliar words, building on their phonic
knowledge. Children will also start to widen their
reading repertoire and comprehension skills,
so that reading supports their work
across the curriculum.

21. Reading In School
Each classroom has a ‘reading corner’ which
encourages children to look at a wide variety of
fiction and non-fiction books. We also like the
children to read books connected with the
current class topic and there will be books on
display in each classroom to that effect.
We have a wonderful new library space which
we want to develop further!

22. How Do We Teach Reading At School?
• One text on IWB or individual
copies
Shared
Reading
• Working in small groups,
reading and /or discussing
reading
Guided
Reading
• To a member of staff; parent;
volunteer; to partner; self
Individual
Reading

23. Assessing Reading At School
DCSF Guidelines:
AF1 Use a range of strategies including accurate decoding of text, to read for
meaning (until NC Level 3, then not assessed)
AF2 Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from
texts and use quotation and reference to text
AF3 Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
AF4 Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including
grammatical and presentational features at text level
AF5 Explain and comment on writers' uses of language, including grammatical
and literary features at word and sentence level
AF6 Identify and comment on writers' purposes and viewpoints and the overall
effect of the text on the reader
AF7 Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary
traditions
How Do We Teach Reading At School?

24. What do we do
when we read?
Make
predictions or
give opinions,
then decide if
we are right.
Decide whether we
think it is a good
book or not. Work out
the main
characters
and the
main
themes.
Compare the
book to
others that
we have
read,
appreciate
an author’s
style.
Decide whether we
agree with what
characters do, or how
our lives are the same
or different to theirs.
Think of
questions that
we want to
find out the
answers to.
Try to
understand
what the
author’s
message is.
Think about why
the writer has
used certain
features e.g.
layout and
words.

25. Try to understand
what the author’s
message is.
Think about why the
writer has used certain
features e.g. layout
and words.
The author describes Clara’s time on the train
as ‘like an old-fashioned flickering film.’
Explain as fully as you can
– why you think the author uses this image
and
– what it tells you about Clara’s feelings
In the story of Goodnight Mr Tom,
how do the main characters change
in their attitude towards each other?

26. Confident readers become
confident and expressive
writers.
Through studying texts in
depth, children pick up a rich
variety of language that they
can use in their own writing.

27. Make the experience pleasurable…
•Find a comfortable place.
•Give plenty of time.
•Avoid interruptions (no TV; siblings (unless
purposeful choice); cooking dinner; other cars on the
road; etc)
•Keep the time positive.
•Stay clear of ‘competition’ and
comparisons with the ability of others-
‘readingschemeitis’!
What Can You Do to Help Your Child?

28. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
But my child can read, how can I help their
reading develop?
Provide the texts (Bug Club).
Provide the time.
Provide the atmosphere.
Provide the role model.
Discuss what they are choosing to read.
Discuss what they are reading.
Ask questions about the text. (more to follow...)

29. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
But my child can read, how can I help
their reading develop?
Discuss the language and ideas in the text.
Use and or adapt some of the question
prompts to help you.
Know what your child’s target is.
Refer to it when adding a comment in your
child’s Reading Record Book.
Encourage your child to earn team points by
reading at home.

30. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
But my child is a reluctant reader…
Use different incentives.
Would they be more comfortable reading to
a sibling (older or younger)?
Use Bug Club – online reading scheme.
Let them choose what they read to you
Have routines that work for your family –
don’t leave it till bedtime, when everyone is
getting tired!!

31. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
http://my.redhouse.co.uk/learn/hearing-your-child-read/5-years
Be a great role model:
Let them catch you reading.
Find some time in the week to
read yourself.
Let your children see that you
get pleasure from reading.
Share your favourite books
/reading material with them.
Read aloud to them.
Show them the value of being
able to read.

32. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
Provide a wide range of reading material
A school reading book is only one part of a child’s
reading repertoire
•Books (picture books; short stories; chapter books);
magazines; comics; annuals; membership handbooks
•Information books; brochures; catalogues; flyers;
newspapers; guide-books
•Websites ; take-away menus; instructions;
•Visit the library and or bookshop

33. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
Where can I find out about ‘good’
books for my child?
•Word of mouth – children, their friends, other parents,
friends and family
•Teaching staff
•Bookshops
•Local Libraries
•Online – a wealth of recommendations and reviews
(children can often add their own review too.)

34. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
Recommended Websites:
www.booksforkeeps.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-
reading/children/
www.redhouse.co.uk
www.lovereading4schools.co.uk

35. What Can You Do to Help Your Child?
Recommended Books:
http://www.whonextguide.com/
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-
reading/children/best-book-guide/
Waterstone’s: Guide to Kid’s Books
70 Tried and Tested: Great Books to read aloud

36. Thank you for coming this evening.
Your commitment is very much appreciated.
Before you go…
enjoy sharing a book with your child.