Developing Reading

Nurturing Reading

• Read bedtime stories or poems – every night!

• Read to your child regularly. Regardless of their age they will continue to benefit from listening to you read!
  • Model the excitement of reading.
  • Talk about your likes and dislikes and your reading interests.
  • Model curiosity, awe and wonder.
  • Talk about the feelings, emotions and messages in the story.
  • Introduce them to different types of reading e.g. non-fiction, poetry, graphic novels etc.
  • Expose them to wider vocabulary.

• Create some special time for reading, with no distractions, lots of praise, and no judgements. If you want your child to read for pleasure, then it must be a pleasurable experience.

• Read through the whole story/poem/book the first time without stopping too much.  Let the text weave its own magic on the first reading.

• Explore the pictures– look closely – and do not rush. Some images will complement the story, some pictures provide supplementary information, whilst others may give a different narrative.

Re-reading is important

• On each re-reading, your child’s familiarity with a story deepens and, with that, comes a greater emotional engagement.  When children ask for a story to be re-read, in effect they are asking for another chance to explore the language, the characters and their feelings, and to relive the emotions they felt on the first reading. 

• They hear the same words read in the same way and gain a sense of comfort in knowing what follows. They wait for their favourite bits, ready to join in or ready to be scared, even when they already know what happens.  Their attachment to the story equips them to retell it and, when they have learnt to read, encourages them to read it for themselves.

• After re-reading, when they know the text well, you can then discuss and explore the meanings of new words in context and address any misunderstandings that still exist.

Deeper Understanding

• After re-reading, and after your child has fully explored the text, then you can develop deeper understanding through conversation, ‘wondering’ and gentle questioning:
  • Who was your favourite character, or what was your favourite part, and why?
  • What does this story/poem remind you of in the real world?
    • You might need to model this by linking the story to your own family experiences: “This reminds me of when….”
  • What other story/poem does this book remind you of?
    • You might need to model this by linking the story to other stories: “Do you remember the dragon in ….? Do you remember what happened to him?”
  • If you could be one character in the book, which one would you choose?  Why?
  • “I wonder why the girl decided to do that?” or “I wonder how the boy might have felt?”
  • Turn the tables!  Can you ask me a question about the book?

School Library

Our School Library is open after school everyday from 15:30. We have a broad, diverse collection of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, picture books and graphic novels for all ages.