Reading

Our Reading Session

Concepts Of Print and Building Prior Knowledge

At the start of the Reading session we go over the basic concepts of print with the children. We look at the title and cover of the book and try to predict what the story will be about based on the illustrations.

Picture Walk

The picture walk is an essential component to our Reading session.  We encourage the children to talk about what they see in the pictures using a “First/Next/Then/Finally” framework.

Reading The Book

Initially, children receive books with no words in them and books with words will be introduced depending on each child’s progress with regards to learning their sounds and being able to blend sounds in order to read unfamiliar words. In conjuntion with these sessions, we continue learning our sounds and practise blending. Blending sheets will be sent home in the first week of the next half term for you to practise with your child at home.

When children receive word books, each child starts with the cover of the book and we encourage all of them to read the text on their own, remembering words from their word boxes, using picture clues an sounding out and blending regular words.  Beginning readers are encouraged to touch each word as they read to ensure that they are not memorising the text. While the children are reading the book, we listen to them and guide them through it.  We look at what they do when the come to a word they don’t know and encourage them to use different strategies such as looking at the picture, looking for words that they know and sounding out the words and blending them. Parents should be there to help, but not over keen to interrupt. It is best to intervene only if the child gets into real difficulty and loses track of the story. Parents need to be very patient! Children should be given the opportunity to work out a word using the sounds. If they still have problems with that word, simply supply it and keep reading.

The important thing is that the children enjoy reading. Choose a time when you are both relaxed to do homework reading and don’t spend more than 5 – 10 minutes on it. Make sure you keep a balance between encouraging your child with learning to read and having fun reading together. Don’t give up on telling stories and reading of all kinds to your child to help them to develop an understanding and love of reading. If you do that, you are more likely to keep them reading later! Even the best readers need a shared time with adults, even if it is to just have a discussion about the book that they have read.