Broad Oak Primary SchoolReading at home
Reading at home with your child is extremely important in developing reading engagement, enjoyment and attainment. Did you know, children and young people’s daily reading levels are the lowest ever recorded, with just 25.8% of children saying they read daily in their free time in 2019?
At Broad Oak your child's home reading is monitored closely and their reading records are checked every week. If your child has read five times in one week, they will be entered into a raffle to win our weekly 'reading award'.
As a school we understand that not all parents and carers are confident about reading aloud or sharing books. If that's you, don’t worry – there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy a story together. But if you’d like some tips, here’s a few pointers to help you out.
Tips for reading with children of any age
- Set aside some time
Find somewhere quiet without any distractions - turn off the TV/radio/computer. - Ask your child to choose a book
Sharing books they have chosen shows you care what they think and that their opinion matters. This means they are more likely to engage with the book. - Sit close together
Encourage your child to hold the book themselves and/or turn the pages. - Point to the pictures
If there are illustrations, relate them to something your child knows. Ask them to describe the characters or situation or what will happen next. Encourage them to tell you the story by looking at the pictures. - Encourage your child to talk about the book
Talking about the characters and their dilemmas helps children understand relationships and is an excellent way for you to get to know each other or discuss difficult issues. Give your child plenty of time to respond. Ask them what will happen next, how a character might be feeling or how the book makes them feel. - And lastly, above all - make it fun!
It doesn't matter how you read with a child, as long as you both enjoy the time together. Don't be afraid to use funny voices - children love this!
It doesn't always need to be the children doing the reading! Did you know, reading to your child for 20 minutes a day can increase their lifetime earnings by £500,000? Despite this, only 18% of new parents read to their children for 20 minutes a day (In The Book reading survey, 2019). Here's a short video with information about how to read to your child.
Some useful websites to support home reading:
Top tips to support your child's reading at home
Free Ebooks for children ages 3-11
Free phonics games for all children
Develop you fluency, vocabulary understanding and comprehension at home with access to your Reading Plus account
(Key Stage 2 children only).
Expert recommendations and opening extracts of books.