Reading at Home KS1
Why is it important for your child to read at home?
Sharing stories, talking and singing every day helps your child’s development in many ways.
Reading and sharing stories can:
- Helping your child get to know sounds, words and language, and develop early literacy skills
- Learn to value books and stories
- Spark your child’s imagination and stimulate curiosity
- Help develop your child’s brain, ability to focus, concentration, social skills and communication skills
- Help your child learn about the world, their own cultures and other cultures.
What books will you child bring home?
A copy of the Read Write Inc Phonics Book that they are reading in school as well as one review book.
Reading this at home will help your child become secure with the sounds they are currently learning at school
Encourage your child to read this book independently although they may need some support with the sounds they are learning. Ask questions about the book and talk lots about the story. Don’t just read it once – read the book multiple times to develop fluency and deeper understanding.
A book to read and share
This is a high-quality book to read with or to your child and share the excitement and enjoyment of the story.
This book may include words with sounds that your child has not yet learnt or is not yet confident reading. You can read the book to them, share the story and talk about the book to help them enjoy books and stories while they are still learning new sounds and words. It is important you do not expect your child to read this book independently – it is a book to be read and shared together. don’t just read it once – read the book multiple times to develop fluency and deeper understanding.
Questions to ask when reading
Before reading the book:
- Can you point to the title?
- What do you think this story is about? What might happen in the story?
- What do we call the writing on the back of the book? (Blurb)
- What does the blurb tell us?
While reading the book:
- What is happening in the pictures?
- What had happened so far?
- Is that what you expected to happen?
- What might happen next?
- How do you think the story might end?
- What sort of character is…?
- Is she/he friendly/ mean/ nice…?
At the end of the book:
- Did you like this book? Why? (encourage children to develop an opinion about books by encouraging them to explain their reasons).
- What was your favourite part? Why?
- What was the most interesting/exciting part of the book? Can you find it?
- What sort of character was…?
- What happened in the story?
It is helpful if you:
- Say go back and try that again…’Fred Talk’ it to help you.
- Let your child read the book again so they become more fluent and their reading sounds like talking
- Talk lots about the book
- Read to your child as well as listen to them read – make reading fun!
Things that are unhelpful
- Don’t ask your child to ‘Fred-Talk’ (sound out) all the words – remember some can’t be sounded out (to, the, said, was)
Don’t tell them they should know a word – help them work it out together