Reading with your child can be a joy - but we also know that it can be a bit of a battle and knowing how to help your child read isn't that easy! We recommend doing at least four reading sessions with your child a week - which includes hearing them read, reading to them or sharing a book as well as practising 'tricky' words. Reading can take many forms - from identifying letters on number plates and reading out and about, such as road signs, shop names etc. to reading a wide range of books and comics, not just their school banded book. 

Your child will always bring home (or allocated online) a 'banded' book, which is a book on a level that has been carefully chosen to match your child's phonic knowledge and confidence. As they become more fluent in decoding words, your child's class teacher will also use their understanding of your child's level of comprehension to decide when to move them up to the next band, as well as their fluency and ability to use expression when reading aloud. We use the Little Wandle reading scheme until the children are able to decode fluently; Green books onwards are not from one particular scheme.

At least twice per half term your child's class will also have a week long access to our 'real book' box. These are high quality picture books that are rich in vocabulary and content, providing many opportunities for discussion. the children will bring home a book each day (if they want to keep the book for a couple of days that is fine too!) as well as their banded book. Tips for how best to share these books with your child can be found below. 

The children visit the library once a week - please ensure that you know when your class library day is (it will be on their class page and reminders are given at the start of each half term in the year group letter) so that your child has their book in school with them. They can only take out one book at a time, and it is very dispiriting for the children watching all of their friends change their book when they can't!