Learning Newsletter
Dear Parents/carers,
We will be sending 'Learning Newsletters' to you through the academic year so you can help your child. The focus for this letter is reading. I hope you find this useful and are able to support your child at home. Local libraries can provide you with a limitless supply of books so please use them. If you need anything else, please come in and talk to us. In parents evenings we will be sharing targets for your child with you so you have a specific focus, however reading with your child is always time well spent.
Children should read for AT least 15 minutes, 5 x a week.
There are 2 main aspects regarding learning to read. Children need to work on both at the same time. If your child can not read, you can read to them and ask questions. If your child can read, the focus should be on asking the more challenging questions:
Learning to Read
and
Reading to Learn.
Learning to Read
Children need to learn to read individual words. There are 2 main strategies:
- Using phonics e.g. cat = c-a-t = 'cuh' - 'ah' - 'tuh'
- Recognising common words (see below, bottom of page)
- Practising reading to gain speed
Reading to Learn
Children can read words at this stage but need to work on how to understand what they are reading so they can learn about new information. The main strategy is to ask questions.
Who....?
What...?
Where....?
When...?
The hardest question to ask is Why....?
- Q: What do you think will happen next?
- Q: Why do you think the character did or said that?
- Q: What was your favourite part?
- Q: Can you summarise / retell the story?
- Q: What types of books do you like best?
- Q: Who is your favourite author?
Below is a guide to the reading band colours we use in school, and also how it links to the different ages of children.
If you are borrowing books from the local library or buying books, use the 'age range' equivalent to help you find books at the right level.