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Reading

These are links that you might find useful when supporting your child in learning to read.

Time spent sharing a book with and adult is a special time for children.

Singing nursery rhymes and songs helps children learn to read. This link will take you to a lot of clips of Nursery Rhymes and Songs.

Nursery rhymes and songs

This link will take you to a clip about how to read with your child.

How to read with your child

This link will take you to the website Hungry Little Minds where you'll find a lot of ideas and activities to help you support your child's learning.

Hungry Little Minds

This link will take you to the Book Trust where you will find examples of books for children of all ages. Please note that every month the Book Trust review lots of books for children.

Book Trust

This link will give you information about how children learn how to read. It has been produced by the University of Reading.

How do children learn how to read?

If you click on this link it will take you to a film clip of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. When you watch this with your child you could look at a copy of the book beforehand and afterwards. It would be a good idea to ask your child questions about the book. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The following link will take you to the Government's top 10 tips to encourage your child to read. 

Government's top 10 tips

This is the link for Accelerated Reader.

Accelerated Reader

Please scroll down for more information on how to help your child learn to read and to help them love reading.

          To support your child in learning to read:

  • ensure that your children see you reading – books, newspapers, leaflets
  • read to your children
  • encourage them to talk about the pictures and the story. Ask questions such as ‘What do you think will happen?’
  • talk about the way that books are set out ‘Where do we start reading?’ ‘How do we find out who wrote the book?’
  • encourage children to read signs and labels, for example when shopping
  • encourage them to read road signs (especially on a long journey)
  • ensure that your children have access to different types of reading materials, e.g. story books, comics, birthday cards etc
  • encourage them to read books borrowed from our newly refurbished library
  • visit the library or book shops – or get books from jumble sales or at Wolsey School Fayres
  • ask them to read aloud daily
  • be patient
  • give them plenty of time to try out new words
  • if they are stuck on a word and can’t read it, tell them it and move on (don’t ask them to sound it out)
  • encourage them to use pictures as a clue to the text/words
  • always be encouraging and use plenty of praise, Praise all efforts
  • try reading in the morning if evening is ‘stressful’ and your child is tired
  • encourage them to retell stories in the correct sequence/order of event
  • let them choose their own reading materials

Please don’t:

  • show your disappointment if your child no longer remembers words they previously knew
  • be impatient
  • criticise their choice of reading materials
  • be agitated or cross if your child does not want to read

Paired Reading

Paired reading is especially useful for parents and children to do at home. One child works alongside one adult. The adult and the child read the text aloud together. In this way the adult provides the child with a model of correct reading.                                                                                                                                            

Procedures for Paired Reading

  • The child chooses a book to read, sometimes with guidance
  • Adult and child sit together and begin reading aloud together. The child should always set the pace
  • The child must pronounce all words correctly. If the child gives an incorrect word, the adult gives the correct model and the child repeats it. Both continue reading as before
  • If the child wishes to read a little on his some non-verbal signal is given
  • During this independent reading the adult gives praise and encouragement especially if errors are self-corrected
  • When the child is reading independently and is unsure of a word, the adult must join in again. Paired reading then continues until the child signals to go on alone
  • The adult should stop and talk about the book to the child. This could be by talking about the pictures or predicting what will happen on the next page

Please remember:

Children’s progress is uneven so one day your child may read fluently and the next day they may stumble over words.