Reading at home

As well as having a wide range of styles and formats to choose from for independent reading, an essential ingredient in developing a life love of books at this age is when adults, including parents, protect shared reading experiences and continue to read aloud at storytime well beyond the age that children can read for themselves. 

Reading records are issued to all children in school and should be used as a way of communicating between parents/carers and teachers about the reading ability of your child. It is important that they are in school daily to enable teachers to write in them if they need to. The ‘reading record’ Pupil Planners are a highly valued home/school journal that ensures participation in reading is the most important activity that parents can engage in.

We ask that parents/carers date and make a comment and/or sign the reading record each time to show that their child(ren) have read aloud. Teachers will acknowledge adult signatures when books are handed in to be changed. These are also closely monitored with feedback and incentivised by teachers to show how much we value pupils’ efforts. Entries that are signed by parents are validated and points are awarded to children who have ‘banked’ that time. As a reward for reading regularly, pupils’ names are entered into a monthly draw to win a book.

To support your child in their development of reading, we recommend that you spend at least 10 minutes per day reading with your child. This can be a combination of you listening to them read their school book, them listening to you read a story book or even taking it in turns. The sharing of reading is a valuable experience for you and child as it gives you the opportunity to discuss new vocabulary as well as characters, themes and even facts that a range of books can offer. As a school, we actively promote ‘Responsible Readers’. This means pupils take control of their own reading habits and they read independently books they find interesting for 10 minutes every night and know how to tell their teacher and pupil community about their reading journey.

Listed below are some comments which may help you when writing in your child’s Reading Diary to describe how your child has read to you at home. To build a realistic picture and encourage your child appropriately, it is essential for both parent and teacher to have an open and honest dialogue and as such, it is important to record both positive and developmental comments. The statements below are just a guide; please feel free to alter the wording and write what best suits your experiences. For more information, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.