Reading

1
Reading
2
Purpose of the talk

• To explain the schools role in supporting
  reading
• To highlight the parents role
• To demonstrate reading at home

3
The Schools Role

• To provide a structured approach that will
  support the childs learning
• To provide a stimulating series of books that
  will
• Challenge
• Stimulate
• Encourage
• Develop
• Consolidate!
• To assess the childs reading regularly and make
  the necessary adjustment to the level of
  difficulty

4
Talking or Reading?

• In the early years of reading the pictures are
  not just illustrations to the text.
• As much time should be spent talking about the
  pictures as in decoding the text.
• So much more can be added to the story than in
  the text alone.

5
At Home

• Parents are crucial to the development of reading
  and so
• Set aside quality time with the child
• Spend around 10 minutes per night on the reading
  book
• Spend a further 10 minutes looking at another
  book
• Read other stories to the child for a further 10
  minutes

6
Quality Time

• Is not
• When the telly is on
• When the child is tired
• When youre doing the washing up
• In the car
• When you are unenthusiastic
• It is
• Undisturbed
• Where you are giving full attention
• When you are prepared to enter fully into the
  story, and the childs world of make believe

7
Reading at home

• With a new book
• Enthuse and be excited
• Make it seem like a special occasion
• Praise the child even before the book is opened
• Scan the book quickly to get an idea of what it
  is all about

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And then

• Question the child about the front cover
• What does s/he see
• What does s/he think it is about
• What characters might we meet
• What is the title
• Expand on life experiences that the child has had
  that link to the title
• Turn the page

9
Page One

• Look at the picture
• Talk about what s/he sees
• What does s/he think is happening
• Introduce names of characters
• Include some of the words in the text as you
  chat. (Its NOT a test).

10
Before Moving On

• Praise, Praise, Praise!
• Are there picture clues as to what will happen
  next
• Are there characters lurking in the background
• Are there words to read in the picture e.g. signs
  or labels
• Have you made a mental note of which words the
  child worked out, stumbled over, misread and so on

11
Moving On

• Repeat some of the same processes of page 1 as
  you progress through the pages
• Make connections with what has happened as
  appropriate
• Ask the child to make predictions at key points
  in the story
• Ask the child about the feelings and thoughts of
  the characters perhaps by looking at the
  pictures

12
Storytelling

• You are aiming for the child to become fully
  engaged with the story that is not quite the
  same as the text
• You are aiming for the child to be a storyteller
• It should be one of the most special moments of
  parenting

13
Please

• When children read
• Dont point for them (unless they lose their
  place)
• Dont interrupt too quickly
• Dont tell them too quickly
• Dont hurry them or pressurise them

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Do

• Let them be in control of the book
• Be guided by the pace at which your child wants
  to go
• Allow them to scan the page for clues that will
  help with the words
• Be patient when they sound out the initial letter
  or blend
• Allow them to guess
• TELL them if they get stuck (words and context)
• Praise at all times

15
At the end of the story

• Some questions to ask
• What did you think about that story
• What was the best bit
• Which character did you like best
• Which was your favourite picture
• (All the above with Why?)
• Go back and pick out the key words (Often given
  on the back of the book)
• Ask the child to give you other words that mean
  the same

16
Reading Heaven

• For the child to have
• Quality shared reading time with a parent every
  night
• Up to 3 books being read by the parent to the
  child
• Their own book collection
• A book allowance
• Membership of the library
• Parents who read
• Family members of the library
• Parents who keep up with the latest authors
• Parents who dont say That books too young/easy
  for you
• Parents who share humour

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Why read to your child?

• Childrens understanding of story is far in
  advance of their ability to read
• Children need to hear good storytelling
• Children need to empathise with character
• Children need repetition again and again and
• Children need to be able to pick up books that
  were once read to them and read them for
  themselves

18
Fluency

• A fluent reader is one
• who understands the text
• does not stumble over words
• has appropriate inflexion in the voice
• takes notice of punctuation
• can make it interesting for the listener
• can retell the story accurately and in an
  interesting way
• Fluent readers make good writers

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What does Reading need?

• Reading needs alphabetic knowledge
• Reading needs phonetic knowledge
• Reading needs the ability to segment and blend
• Reading needs understanding of words in and out
  of context
• ALSO
• Reading needs voice control
• Reading needs visual literacy
• Reading needs fluency
• Reading needs empathy with character
• Readingis storytelling

20
And Finally

• Listening and talking are VITAL
• Talking makes reading come alive
• Reading is an interaction between the child, the
  adult, the text and the pictures
• Praise is key to building confidence
• Reading is an opportunity to enter your childs
  world and share their excitement as s/he make new
  discoveries
• If you enjoy it, your child will too