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Reading for Pleasure
Why reading is so important:
“There can be few things as powerful as regularly reading to a young child. It has astonishing benefits for children: comfort and reassurance, confidence and security, relaxation, happiness and fun. Giving a child time and full attention when reading them a story tells them they matter. It builds self-esteem, vocabulary, feeds imagination and even improves their sleeping patterns.” The National Literacy Trust
Although your child will be taught to read here at school, you can have a significantly positive impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.
There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:
· A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.
· A sharing book. Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.
Reading practice book
This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.
Listen to them read the book; remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
Once your child is working beyond the Little Wandle Phonics program, they will be moved onto Accelerated Reader. Children will be assessed using a STAR reading test and given a specific range of books from which to choose. Each book has a short quiz to complete at the end to assess comprehension. Class teachers monitor this closely to ensure they are choosing suitable books, varying genres and authors and continuing to develop a love of reading.
Sharing book
In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together. These will be clearly labelled as, ‘A book I can share.’
Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!
Class book
Having a daily story time session with an adult is something we value highly at St George’s. This will usually be your child’s class teacher who will be reading a high quality text carefully chosen to reflect their age and interests, ensuring a balance of male and female authors and authors and stories from different cultures are incorporated throughout the year. It is one of the very best ways we can model our enthusiasm for reading and for books and create magic and excitement around the special joy of reading a good book. Other benefits from this very special daily time together are:
· Encountering new words and enriching vocabulary – you experience words that would almost never come up in conversation.
· Helping children appreciate the beauty and rhythm of language
· Children can enjoy and understand texts beyond their own reading ability.
· Enhancing imagination and observation skills
· Improving critical and creative thinking skills
· Expanding a child’s general knowledge and understanding of the world
· Developing empathy as they make connections with the experiences of the characters in the text and with each other
· Fluent, expressive reading being modelled
· Enabling them to make meaning from more complex texts
· Conditioning the brain to associate reading with pleasure
· Planting a desire to read
Suggested books for your child:
Peter's website is bursting with recommendations for age-appropriate books your child will love.
100 recommended reads for Reception
100 recommended reads for Year 1
100 recommended reads for Year 2
100 recommended reads for Year 3
100 recommended reads for Year 4
100 recommended reads for Year 5
100 recommended reads for Year 6
Our library wishlist
Please click here to see the list that has been created. You can also purchase a book that will be added to the school's library. We ask that only this link is used to help support the school's library to ensure that duplicates are not received. Upon making a purchase please could all books be delivered directly to school.
All books will be gratefully received and have a book plaque put inside with the person who has donated.
Thank you.
Book Buzz Newsletter
Please find below our latest 'Book Buzz' newsletter.
