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Supporting Reading at Home
As parents and carers, you play a fundamental role in your child’s reading journey. As well as consolidating and embedding the reading skills taught at school, we want students to develop a love of reading with parents and carers and make memories.
To achieve a consistent, common approach to reading, seen both in school and at home, communication is key. We therefore make every effort to ensure that our approach to reading is accessible and understood.
Parents and carers are invited into school for workshops to work with teachers to develop the strategies that they can use at home. Reading events are organised to help parents develop the skills and confidence to support their child’s reading at home.
Regular communication with parents allows teachers to provide updates on students’ progress and offer support and guidance for reading at home.
Resources and activities to promote reading at home are shared through the newsletter and here, on the website. Book lists, books and reading materials are provided to support reading development at home.
Our subscription to Hampshire Library Service has been a great investment in making sure reading is celebrated at home. Through the SORA App, students can access a host of resources at home.
https://sls.hias.hants.gov.uk/
Top Tips
Tips for Encouraging a Love of Reading
- Read yourself! It doesn’t matter what it is – pick up a newspaper or magazine, take a look at a cookery book, read a computer manual, enjoy some poetry or dive into a romance or detective novel. And get your children to join in – if you’re cooking, could they read the recipe? If you’re watching TV, can they read out the listings?
- Give books as presents. And encourage your children and their friends to swap books with each other – it’ll give them a chance to read new stories, and get them all talking about what they’re reading.
- Visit the local library together. It’s always fun choosing new books to read, and keep an eye out for special author events at the library or local bookshops – children love meeting their favourite authors. Jacqueline Wilson and Anthony Horowitz always have signing queues that are miles long!
- Encourage children to carry a book at all times. That way, they’ll never be bored (this is something you can do, too!)
- Have a family bookshelf. If you can, have bookshelves in your children’s bedrooms, too.
- Keep reading together. Just because your children are older, it doesn’t mean you have to stop sharing stories – perhaps you could try the Harry Potter series or A Series of Unfortunate Events.
- Don’t panic if your child reads the same book over and over again. Let’s be honest - we’ve all done it!
Storytime Tips:
- Ask your child to choose what they’d like to read. They’ll feel more interested in the story if they’ve picked it out themselves. (And don’t worry if they keep returning to the same story, either!)
- If you can, turn off the TV, radio and computer. It’s easier for both of you to enjoy the story without any other distractions.
- Ask questions and talk about the book. Picture books can be a great way to talk through your child’s fears and worries, or to help them deal with their emotions. Give them space to talk, and ask how they feel about the situations in the story.
- Have fun! There’s no right or wrong way to share a story – as long as you and your child are having fun. Don’t be afraid to act out situations or use funny voices… they will love it!
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/reading-tips/
If you would like any further support on how to work on reading at home please contact our Specialist Teacher for Literacy and Numeracy, Lindsay Bolton
If your child is at the early stages of reading then they will be able to borrow 'decodable' books to take home. These are specifically designed to align with the phonics patterns and sounds that the individual is learning, making them an invaluable resource. By lending these books for home use, we aim to reinforce the skills they are acquiring in the classroom and encourage regular reading practice.
