Reading

Reception

Shared reading
Children enjoy listening to and participating in a story read by an adult. They are encouraged to join in with the repetitive and predictable text and use their phonetic knowledge.

Guided reading
A special time, once or twice a week, where children read words and pictures. The teacher models reading, pointing to words and helping pupils to sound out the first few letters. Children enjoy studying the pictures to find clues for unfamiliar words.

High Frequency Words
High frequency words are taught and reinforced in phonic lessons and should be practised regularly at home.

Reading Books
When children first begin to read they are given books which closely match their phonic knowledge.  This ensures children are enjoying success from the very beginning.

Flash cards
These are used with the whole class, groups or individually to introduce new words related to the scheme books.

Word games
Children will think it's play as they engage in these activities that build their confidence with letter sounds, word building spelling and eventually sentence construction.

Library books
We start as we mean to go on throughout primary school by letting reception children choose and enjoy library books to support their reading.

How you can help at home

• Make it fun.
• Find a time to read when you and your child are not too tired, make it quality time.
• Short frequent sessions will be more successful than one long one.
• Give encouragement, motivation and praise for the smallest step.
• Talk a lot about the pictures, predict what will happen next.
• Let your child tell the story. Correct any of their key words but only correct others if the meaning is wrong.
• Tell them the word if they are really stuck.
• If you read stories to your child don't give up now because they have started to learn. Children who are read to frequently seem to become better readers.
• Stay in touch with the teacher. The reading record book is an effective home-school link.

If in doubt the staff are always pleased to help!