Bumble Bee Class Supporting Your Child with Reading 2nd February 2017

Supporting your Child’s Reading Development Facts about Reading Reading is a vital life skill in our society Reading is not easy to learn or to teach- it is a complex set of skills Reading is needed for all areas of learning in school Reading is not just using phonics to decode words Reading can enrich your life - not just your knowledge, understanding and vocabulary Children who can read well have higher self esteem

Importance of reading from a young age It is important for a child to look at books every day. All the family should to be involved in sharing books and children’s reading. Reading to a child for a short time every day from infancy helps prepare a child to learn. They are never too young! During the early years your child is remembering word patterns and learning the language of books. Shared enjoyment in reading between a parent and child deepens the child’s interest in the world of stories and information and supports them learning to read. It promotes and teaches them key literacy skills and promotes early language development.

How we teach early reading skills in the Nursery Stimulating book areas that give space and opportunities to read, time to browse through books on their own and with others Repetition of favourite stories to support children in learning book language and to promote their independence in reading familiar stories Direct teaching of book language through shared reading sessions using quality big books Daily story times using favourite books Daily exposure to rhymes and songs Regular early phonics sessions Games/resources/activities linked to favourite books

Reading with your child It is never too early to start reading with your child Ensure that you bring books home from school regularly and find a special time to sit down to share these stories and rhymes. Share stories together everyday and make it part of your families routine. Let children see you reading for different purposes so that they understand how reading can be for pleasure and function.  We have a booklet to support you when you are reading with your child. The suggestions are there as a guide to help you enjoy the reading experience together. Before you start to share the story together there are a few things you need to consider to ensure that everyone has a good time!  

The Golden Rules when reading with your child Make it a quiet time with no distractions Get comfy and enjoy the story together Read books your child really loves   Give your child lots of praise for joining in and trying hard. Get involved in the story with them Stop when they have had enough Have Fun!

So what can you do to make the reading time a valuable experience? Reading at this young age is all about the talk around the book so choose your books carefully. BEFORE you begin to read always model how to hold the book correctly and how to turn the pages.   Ask some questions - What they think the story will be about, what will happen next? Look closely at the pictures what can you see happening? Children can often tell the story themselves using the pictures to help them and this is an excellent way to start looking at a book together. Bring stories to life with lots of expression and silly voices. Encourage your child to join in with repeated phrases and to use the book language.

So what can you do to make the reading time a valuable experience? Don’t be afraid to read favourite stories over and over again, this improves confidence and independence (Recall your favourite stories from childhood)   When you have finished reading encourage your child to talk about what they liked about the story and express their opinions. How did different characters feel? Learn rhymes, songs and jingles together so that you both know them by heart and can point to the words as you recite them together. When you have finished reading remind them of the title and say what you liked about the way they read with you.

How to help your child at home Questions and Comments

We hope these suggestions will be helpful and we will send more ideas home throughout the year about how to help your child as their reading skills develop. So get reading and enjoy yourselves!