Supporting Your Child with Reading at Home

Your child starting to read is a very important and exciting time! Reading opens up a world of possibilities, adventures and imagination, while also giving your child the essential skills they need for their future learning.

At Kingswood Primary School, we understand the importance of developing a love of reading from an early age. We value early reading and writing experiences and believe that working together with families has a hugely positive impact on children’s confidence, progress and future attainment.

There are two types of reading books that your child will be bringing home:

📖 Reading Practice Book

This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current phonics stage. Your child should be able to read this book confidently, fluently and independently.

Please don't worry if the book seems easy for your child. Re-reading familiar books is really important as it helps children to develop fluency, confidence and expression.

Your child will have already read the book to an adult at least three times in school before bringing it home.

When reading at home:

• Listen to your child read the book.

• Give them lots of praise and encouragement – celebrate their successes!

• If they are unable to read a word, simply tell them the word and allow them to continue reading.

• Encourage them to use their phonics knowledge to sound out unfamiliar words where appropriate.

• Once they have finished, talk about the book together. Ask questions such as “What was your favourite part?” or “What do you think might happen next?”

Remember: repeated reading is a good thing! Reading the same book several times helps your child become a more confident and fluent reader.

❤️ Sharing Book

The sharing book is all about reading for pleasure.

To encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they experience books as something enjoyable and exciting. The sharing book is a book chosen for you and your child to enjoy together.

Your child is not expected to be able to read this book independently.

Instead, you can:

• Read the book to your child or take turns reading together.

• Talk about the pictures and what you can see.

• Ask your child what they think might happen next.

• Talk about the characters and how they might be feeling.

• Use different voices for the characters.

• Look for interesting or unfamiliar words and talk about what they mean.

• If it is a non-fiction book, explore the facts and talk about what you have discovered.

Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the time you spend reading together!

🌟 Every Book, Every Day

Even just 10 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge difference. Your encouragement, enthusiasm and enjoyment of books will help your child develop confidence and, most importantly, a lifelong love of reading.

Happy reading! 📚❤️