Dear Parent/carers,
Reading is a skill we continue to develop throughout our lives, but starting this process as early as possible has significant benefits for our continued success as readers. This is why, as parents and carers, you play a vital role in supporting your child in becoming a fluent reader who is confidently able to apply their reading skills across all areas of their lives.
The teaching of reading and reading comprehension within the classroom is only part of a child’s learning, and the value that is given to reading at home is equally important. Research suggests that children who read regularly outside of school perform significantly better in school and so your support at home is essential in ensuring that your child makes the progress they are capable of. You can help your child to achieve their full potential by listening to them read (for about 20 minutes), reading regular bedtime stories and by encouraging them to enjoy reading and sharing books together. Reading widely through all of these approaches will help develop your child’s vocabulary, which in turn will make them more confident when reading more challenging books.
From after half term, the school will be pushing the importance of reading further and your child will be bringing home their banded reading book and a reading record for you to record reading activity in. This will happen every Friday to allow for at least 20 minutes of reading to continue on the weekend at a level suitable to them. Therefore, please can you ensure that reading books and records are brought in to school every Monday and signed by yourself to say reading has or hasn’t taken place. Students will be awarded extra points for completing some reading on the weekend, as well as, being put forward for reader of the week and reader of the term reward.
To help us track how much reading your child is are doing at home, it is important that you sign their reading record every time you have listened to them read (even if this isn’t their banded book), along with a brief comment. Your support with reading at home is essential
and only by working together can we ensure your child achieves their potential as a reader. If you require any further guidance regarding reading, please ask your students class teacher.
Yours Sincerely,
Meghan Hennessy
English Lead
