FLINTHAM READING EVENING

Aims of the Session: Why reading is so important Define the two main skills of reading Define a ‘good’ reader Tips for helping your child to read in Class 1 and 2 Tips for helping your child to read in Class 3 and 4 Teaching of reading in school

Why reading is so important Reading is a vital tool for learning and for life. Research shows that children who enjoy reading achieve better at school in all areas of the curriculum. Reading not only helps us to widen our knowledge and experiences but also allows us to increase our confidence in many aspects of our lives.

All children master the two main skills of reading Our Reading Aim: All children master the two main skills of reading 1. Learning to read Class 1 and 2 The children are acquiring the knowledge and skills of reading the written word 2. Reading to learn Class 3 and 4 The children are using their reading skills to comprehend/ understand texts and find out about the world and further increase their learning and enjoyment of reading.

Definition of a Good Reader is fluent and interesting to listen to when reading aloud (reads at a comfortable speed and with appropriate expression) is accurate, makes few mistakes -particularly when reading non fiction is understanding and following the content of what he/she has read. To be a really good reader you need to be good at all three!

Reading in Class 1 and Class 2 3 useful strategies to decode an unknown word Try not to simply give unknown words, unless they are difficult names etc. and it will interrupt the flow. 1. Sounding out the phonemes (units of sound) ‘Breaking down the word’, e.g. sh o p = shop, s m ar t = smart What sound (called phonics) does it begin/end with? Does it look like any other word you know? Are there any pairs/patterns/sets of letters you recognise? 2. Using any picture clues Pointing to the picture if it is relevant 3. Reading around the word Children can often work out the ‘difficult’ word by reading the rest of the sentence.

The 3 Ps PAUSE to help them work out the new words PROMPT by using some of the techniques mentioned PRAISE The best kind of praise is that which tells the child exactly what has pleased you. For example: I liked the way that you checked the pictures for clues. I liked the way that you realised that didn’t make sense and checked again. I liked the way you made that sound like a question. I liked the way that you covered part of the word and read it a bit at a time. I liked the way that you didn’t give up.

Reading in Class 3 and Class 4 Children are becoming more confident readers and reached the stage where they no longer wish to read to an adult and want to read silently to themselves. You should not insist on too much reading aloud, however there are still many things that you can do. Being able to read words quickly and accurately is not the finished product!

Techniques to try: Ask your child to read short extracts out loud, checking for fluency, accuracy and understanding. Do not worry if your child's reading is not word perfect. If he/she is making sense of the text, this does not matter e.g. "house" instead of "home", "Good dog, Spot" instead of "Good boy, Spot". Favourite authors, encourage your child to read other books by a favourite author Range of reading material. Nothing is too easy! Comics, newspapers, annuals. Reading for pure enjoyment. Ask your child a range of questions about the text, at this stage it is very important to assess comprehension.

Extract :Diary of a Killer Cat Monday Okay. Okay. So hang me. I killed the bird. For pity’s sake, I’m a cat. It’s practically my job to go creeping around the garden after sweet little eensy-weensy birdy-pies that can hardly fly from one hedge to another. So what am I supposed to do when one of the poor feathery butterballs just about throws itself into my mouth? I mean, it practically landed on my paws. It could of hurt me. Okay, okay. So I biffed it. Is that any reason for Ellie to cry in my fur so hard I almost drown?

AF4 The book is called ‘Diary of a Killer cat’, how has the author kept to this genre AF3 Who is narrating the story? How do you know, use examples from the text AF3 Who do you think Ellie is? AF3 Was Ellie alright about him killing the bird, how do you know? AF4 Why has the author written some words in italics, how do you think she wanted you to say those words. AF2 Find two synonyms for birds AF2 What is the cat’s excuse for killing the bird? AF3 Do you think the cat feels bad about killing the bird? AF3 How might the next chapter start? Predict what the cat might have done AF7 Have you read any other stories written as a diary?

When does reading take place in school? Class 3 and 4 Daily Literacy lessons Dissecting shared texts, group guided reading sessions Written reading comprehension sessions Differentiated texts Class Stories Topic work Researching /interpreting texts and information in History/ Geography/ Science and R.E. Class 1 and 2 All the above (age appropriate) plus being heard to read individually to practise skills of ‘learning to read’

3 Key Points to take away! Practice makes perfect! Aim for about 5 reading sessions at home. Routine. Please record in planners. Discussion about the text is so important to develop comprehension and a deeper understanding of authors’ choices Continue to read to your children, vital to increase enjoyment and pleasure in reading, whilst learning expression and fluency.