Reading Workshops Information for Parents

Kilburn Park School

Why is reading so important?

READING IS THE DOOR TO ALL LEARNING!

Reading is needed for all subject areas

Reading improves; vocabulary, imagination, writing, conversation, confidence to be a life long learner

Why are you here?

We are holding these workshops in order to:

• Continue to raise standards in reading.

• Improve Home School reading.

• Obtain feedback from parents.

• Increase children’s enjoyment of reading.

The Reading Diet Just like to be healthy and grow well you need a variety of foods – to develop as a reader you need a wide variety of reading – the reading diet. Our School Reading Diet

• Individual Reading • Guided Reading • Books from the Library • Home School Reading • Non-Fiction Studies

A range of reading material at home: • Comics • Magazines • Newspapers • Travel brochures • Instructions or recipes • TV guides • Information books • Poems • Audio books • Sports reports • Shopping lists

Individual Reading In Junior Schools, because of the wide curriculum range, it is difficult for staff to listen to pupils individually on a regular basis. Children who are still learning to read or who are under-achieving will receive individual and group support on a regular basis. Normally, children will have the opportunity to read daily for a sustained period of time.

Guided Reading In a guided reading session the class teacher or assistant teaches key elements of reading to a group of children. It is an opportunity for the teacher to hear readers and teach reading skills. The other children in the class will engage in independent comprehension activities using ‘The Comprehension Box’. This resource provides a reading text pitched at the individual child’s level with a set of questions that tests the children’s understanding of the text. Guided reading allows the teacher an opportunity to teach reading skills in a small group situation, allowing greater focus on developing skills, rather than just ‘hearing readers’

Libraries - School Our main school library was refurbished last year. Over the summer this year, the library was extended to create a non-fiction/reference section. This has allowed us to add computers to the library and create new sections for comics and magazines as well as specialist sections on William Shakespeare, Poetry and contemporary authors such as Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo. The expanded library also allows us to house all our reading schemes in the same area. The next phase in our school library development will include: • Audio Books and a Listening Base • Extend the range of bilingual books • Introduce digital books through ipads and tablet PCs Each class also has a library containing mainly fiction books and books that relate to the curriculum currently being studied.

Kilburn Library Kilburn Library was extensively refurbished over the Summer Holidays It has a brand new section for children’s reading – is free to join and is open seven days a week

All children in Kilburn Park have been registered as users of the library and visit regularly to exchange books

Home Reading At Kilburn Park School we know how important it is for teachers and parents to work together to help our children to achieve the best they can.

Reading together at home and making sure that your child reads regularly is one of the most important ways in which you can help your child.

Expectations about Reading at home At Kilburn Park School each child is expected to read at home daily, whether that is to an adult or older sibling (for developing readers) or independently (for fluent readers). Generally children are responsible for choosing their own reading material, either from the class or school library, or from home. We use reading journals to monitor the range and ability of the books each child reads.

Using the Reading Journal All children have a reading journal to record the books they are reading. There is also an opportunity for them to write comments about their reading and also for parents to comment and confirm that their child is reading regularly

Book Banding Children are tested at the start of each academic year in reading. This gives us a reading age. Children with a reading age below 8 years are assigned to a book band level. Many of the books in our libraries and all our reading schemes have been banded. This allows children to choose books that they can read but will also challenge them to develop their reading skills. 5- 6 years 5- 6 years 5- 6 years 5- 6 years 6- 6.5 years

6.5- 7 years

7- 7.5 years 7.5- 8 years 8 – 8.5 years

8.5- 9 years 9 - 9.5 years 9.5- 10 years

Would it be useful to know your child’s reading age and book band level?

Phonics Phonics is a method of teaching children how spoken words are composed of sounds (called phonemes) and how letters in words correspond to these sounds or phonemes. The process of reading involves decoding or breaking words in to separate phonemes, so that meaning can be gained. On the other hand, the process of spelling requires the writer to identify all the phonemes in a words and then use their knowledge of the phonemic code to write or make the word. On entry to Kilburn Park School, children are assessed in reading and their knowledge of phonics. Children who need additional support in phonics are provided with additional intensive support, normally on a daily basis.

Reading at Kilburn Park

When should you be concerned?

Who to contact if you are concerned

1) Class Teacher 2) Deputy Headteacher /Special Needs Coordinator – Anita Sandhu 3) Senior Teacher /Reading Champion – Cherylyn Larking 4) Phonics Champion – Debbie Rajah My Child won’t read, no matter what I do. How can I help? • Read to your child as much as possible – not just you! • Don’t make an issue out of it • Talk to the class teacher • Working with the school will help