Vale Primary School. Helping your child with Reading. When we work together, the possibilities are endless

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Magdalene Williams
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1 Vale Primary School Helping your child with Reading When we work together, the possibilities are endless 1

Developing a Vale Reading Community At Vale Primary School, we aim to develop a reading community where children become confident and enthusiastic readers.

2 Developing a Vale Reading Community At Vale Primary School, we aim to develop a reading community where children become confident and enthusiastic readers. In order to achieve this, we need to take reading beyond the classroom. So, together, we want to create a rich reading environment where reading is encouraged by everyone and everywhere. Wherever we go, there are things to look at and read. This can be done at any time; while you are shopping, visiting the dentist or the doctors, travelling in the car or on a bus, or visiting places such as a museum. There are lots of fun and interesting ways we can help children to read without them even realising they are learning. In this booklet we will provide lots of ideas that you can use with your children at home. 2

3 How children learn to read Children often learn stories and rhymes off by heart. When reading, children rely a lot on memory; they appear to be reading when really they have remembered the pattern of the story. This is not cheating! It shows us that your children are on their way to becoming a reader as they are making the connection between print and a story. Children will often want to read the same book over and over again. This shows they are enjoying the story and getting pleasure from reading. If this does become too much for you, offer to read their favourite books and one of your favourites too. Listening to story tapes or CD s, is also a nice way to share stories and rhymes. These can also be borrowed from libraries, handed down from older children etc. 3

Instant ideas for improving reading - at any age.

Make it fun choose books, magazines, brochures,

Join the library, they have lots of fun and free events

4 Instant ideas for improving reading - at any age. Spend 5 to 10 minutes a day reading together. Make it fun choose books, magazines, brochures, catalogues, menus, recipes, posters, newspapers that you both enjoy. Encourage the children to make up their own characters and stories. Buy books as presents. Make a special place to read books. Join the library, they have lots of fun and free events and have free internet access. When reading point out unusual words and talk about what they mean. Let your child see you reading, talk about what you like and don t like to read. 4

5 Ideas for children who are learning to read Some of these are instant ideas, others will take longer to do and will be built up over a period of time. A good mix of both will be beneficial to your child. Encourage your children to spot letters that they recognise on posters, signs etc. Point out various signs that are all around us. Children from a very early age recognise (and read) Crabby Jacks, Waitrose, B&Q, Creaseys etc. Read words together on food packets and tins when shopping. Can they find the baked beans? Tomato sauce? etc. Read a book to the children that they know well, miss out words and encourage the children to fill in the blanks. Spend time reading together talk about the pictures or make up their own stories. Bed time is the perfect time for doing this. 5

part in clubs out of school lessons, favourite pages from

Encourage children to make up plays and put on A Show.

Let the children choose their own books or magazines; these can

6 Create your own book. Include photographs of the family, trips out, children taking part in clubs out of school lessons, favourite pages from magazines, children s drawings etc. Encourage children to make up plays and put on A Show. Sing nursery rhymes and songs. Let the children choose their own books or magazines; these can be about hobbies, sports or TV programmes. Read pop up or lift the flap books. Make cakes and biscuits together, read the recipe together. You could try to make biscuits in the shape of letters. 6

Ideas for good readers Read books about topics that you know your child

Take books, magazine, comics, when going shopping or on a journey.

7 Ideas for good readers Read books about topics that you know your child will like such as dinosaurs, football, rugby, TV programmes etc. Take books, magazine, comics, when going shopping or on a journey. Read match reports or articles about their favourite team or sport. Research on the internet together. You could look at team websites, or find their favourite author or TV programme and find out more about them. Talk to the children about books that you enjoy reading now and books you enjoyed as a child. If you find a favourite author, try and get more books written by them. 7

Make a scrap book of their favourite magazine

magazines, comics, newspapers, non-fiction books.

may be too difficult to read alone; such as the

8 Make a scrap book of their favourite magazine articles, recipes, pop stars, menus, team match reports. Encourage the children to choose their own books, magazines, comics, newspapers, non-fiction books. Share CD, tape and audio versions of books that may be too difficult to read alone; such as the Harry Potter Series. If they are confident readers they can read to younger members of the family. 8

9 Reading Strategies The next couple of pages have some handy prompts that the children can use to help them to read. This is not an exhaustive list, just a few to get you started Definitions Phoneme The smallest unit of sound in a word, for example c..a..t. There are 43 phonemes in the English language, all letter sounds of the alphabet (c and k, count as one) plus: ch, sh, th, ng, ai, ee, igh, oa, oo, ear,air, ure, er, ar, or, ur, ow, oi Blend Syllables Putting the separate sounds (phonemes) together Chunks of words for example there are two in Ashton, Ash-ton and three in Elephant, el-e-phant 9

Questions Questioning children about the book they are reading provides us with the opportunity to discover what they have understood about it.

10 Questions Questioning children about the book they are reading provides us with the opportunity to discover what they have understood about it. We have included a range of questions you can ask your child. But, use your own judgement about which questions to ask and keep it enjoyable! Don t ask too many questions at one time. Fiction Books Where does the story take place? When did the story take place? What did he / she / it look like? Who was he / she / it? Where did he / she / it live? Would you like to have a friend like this? Why / Why not? How did you feel during different parts of the story, what made you feel like this? Through whose eyes was the story told? What part of the story did you like / dislike the most, why? 10

11 Have you read any other stories which were similar? Do you know any other authors who deal with the same issues as this? What do you think these words mean? Do you think this book was as good as...? What part of the book was the saddest, funniest, most interesting? Did the pictures help you to understand more about the story? What questions would you like to ask the author? Do you think all children would like this book? Non-fiction Books What have you learnt from this book? Who do you think would find this book the most interesting? How would you use the index page to find something out? (Look at the contents page) What page would you find out about...? Do you think this book could be better, why? Did you find the diagrams, photographs helpful? (Look at the glossary after reading the book) What does x mean? 11

12 Poetry Who wrote this poem? What is the poem about? What do you think the poet is trying to say? What did you like / dislike about the poem? What poetic features can you identify (rhyme, rhythm, alliteration)? Did the poem remind you of anything? Does the shape the poem makes or the sounds it makes when you read it add to the message? 12

13 We hope that you have found this booklet useful. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like further help or guidance. Happy Reading Suggested reading lists are on the next few pages; 13

the Flap Animal Book The Owl and the Pussy Cat Author Jez Alborough Ruth Browne John Burningham Julia Donaldson Julia Donaldson Shirley Hughes Michael Morpurgo Judith Nichols and Jason Cockroft

14 Year 1 Title Where s My Teddy Holly Whadayamean? Gruffalo Squash and Squeeze The Lion and the Unicorn The Silver Swan Billywise A Kitten Called Moonlight Amazing Grace Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain A Book About Light and Dark All Join In Lift the Flap Animal Book The Owl and the Pussy Cat Author Jez Alborough Ruth Browne John Burningham Julia Donaldson Julia Donaldson Shirley Hughes Michael Morpurgo Judith Nichols and Jason Cockroft Martin Waddell Mary Hoffman Verna Aardema Geoff Waring Quentin Blake Rod Campbell Edward Lear Year 2 Title Hue Boy Peter and the Wolf Gregory Cool Princess Smartypants Oops Isobel s Noisy Tummy The Last Noo-Noo Horrid Henry s Underpants Funny Frank The Pig in the Pond Greek Myths for Young Children The Great Fire of London A Book of Shape Poems Give Yourself a Hug We Are Britain Author Rita Phillips Mitchell Ian Beck Caroline Binch Barbara Cole Colin McNaughton David McKee Jill Murphy Francesca Simon Dick King Smith Martin Waddell Marcia Williams Liz Gogerly Gina Douthwaite Grace Nichols Benjamin Zephaniah

15 Year 3 Title The Colour of Home Mr. Majeika books The Magic Finger, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Enormous Crocodile Animal Ark Series Under the Ramadan Moon The Long Walk to Freedom (children s illustrated version) Bill s New Frock, How to Write Really Badly Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Terrible Tudors Aesops Fables The Hodgeheg The Iron Man, The Iron Woman The Worst Witch Series You are Old, Father William The Jumblies Author Mary Hoffman Humphrey Carpenter Roald Dahl Lucy Daniels Sylvia Whitman Nelson Mandela Anne Fine Jeff Kinney Terry Deary Michael Morpurgo Dick King-Smith Ted Hughes Jill Murphy Lewis Carroll Edward Lear Year 4 Title The Narnia series Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Matilda Danny the Champion of the World Demon Dentist, Mr. Stink Tom s Sausage Lion, Butterfly Lion Secret Friends Favourite African Folktales The Peppermint Pig The Monster Crisp Guzzler Beast Quest Enid Blyton Allen Ahlberg Ted Hughes Clive King Pete Johnson Marcia Williams Author C.S. Lewis Roald Dahl David Walliams Michael Morpurgo Elizabeth Laird Nelson Mandela Nina Bawden Malorie Blackman Adam Blade Famous Seriously Silly Series Tales of the Early Stig of the Dump How to Train Your Robin Hood

Year 5 Title War Horse Kensuke s Kingdom Shadow Street Child The Hobbit Goggle-eyes The 101 Dalmations Percy Jackson- The Lightning Thief The Secret Garden The Animals of Farthing Wood One Thousand

16 Year 5 Title War Horse Kensuke s Kingdom Shadow Street Child The Hobbit Goggle-eyes The 101 Dalmations Percy Jackson- The Lightning Thief The Secret Garden The Animals of Farthing Wood One Thousand and One Arabian Nights Artemis Fowl Stormbreaker Tom s Midnight Garden The Lottie Project Hitler s Canaries Horrible Histories Woeful Second World War Frightful First World War Author Michael Morpurgo Bernie Doherty J.R.R. Tolkien Anne Fine Dodie Smith Rick Riordan Frances Hodgson Colin Dann Geraldine McCaughrean Eoin Colfer Anthony Horowitz Phillipa Pearce Jacqueline Wilson Sandi Toksvig Terry Deary Year 6 Title Goodnight Mister Tom The Lord of the Rings The Hunger Games Divergent Black Beauty The Snow Goose Harry Potter series The Mortal Instruments Marley and Me Inkheart The Daydreamer Peter Pan Invisible Girl His Dark Materials Mortal Engines Author Michelle Magorian J.R.R. Tolkien Michelle Collins Veronica Roth Anna Sewell Paul Gallico J.K. Rowling Cassandra Clare John Grogan Cornelia Funke Ian McEwan J.M. Barrie Kate Maryon Phillip Pullman Phillip Reeve

Mundy Reading Challenge. A guide for parents & children

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