SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD WITH READING – YEAR 3
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their journey to becoming a fluent reader by continuing their practice at home.
There are two types of reading book that your child will bring home:
- A reading fluency book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.
- A reading for pleasure book. This book will match the current band your child is working within and so they should be able to read this to you independently. This book is for you both enjoy and discuss together.
The ‘reading fluency book’
In class, children will read a six-chapter book over 3 weeks. Books will be matched to children’s fluency level and will be read in small groups. Once children have completed the book in school, it will be sent home with your child to read again, this helps children to extend vocabulary and gain speed and confidence. This book will be your child’s ‘Reading Fluency Book’.
If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading. This is also a time that they can show you how well they are progressing with their reading and feel a sense of achievement. When listening to your child read the book, remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! These Fluency books help to ease the transition from learning phonics to becoming independent readers.
At home, please use the ‘book chat’ questions, these can be found in the back of their ‘Reading Fluency Book’. This will support your child with their prosody (expression and intonation) and comprehension (understanding). This is why it is important for parents/carers to hear their child reading aloud and discuss what they have read.
The ‘reading for pleasure book’
In order to further encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. We will therefore also continue to send home a ‘reading for pleasure book’ that they have chosen independently to be enjoyed at home. This reading for pleasure book will match the current band your child is working within. Please remember that you shouldn’t always expect your child to read this alone, although they should be able to read this to you independently. This book is for you to enjoy and discuss together. Talk and ask questions about the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, and explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!
Please always indicate each read in your child’s reading record (this could be a comment or just a tick). In order to encourage this and the children's independence, those children who successfully record five reads in a week will be rewarded with a raffle ticket. At the end of each term, two raffle tickets will be drawn and each child with a winning ticket will receive a book-related prize!
Thank you for your support.
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD WITH READING – YEAR 4
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their journey to becoming a fluent reader by continuing their practice at home.
Your child will bring home a reading for pleasure book that they have chosen from the class library. This book is colour-banded and has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. The expectation is that your child will continue to read this book on a daily basis, as ‘little and often’ practice helps to develop their reading fluency and comprehension, and a life-long love of books and reading.
Please remember that you shouldn’t always expect your child to read alone; read to them or with them. When listening to your child read, remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! After they have finished, talk about the book together. Discuss the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction text.
After each read of their reading for pleasure book (whether independently or with an adult), you should record this in your child's reading record, including as much as you can saying what you have talked about. In order to encourage this and the children's independence, those children who successfully record five reads in a week will be rewarded with a raffle ticket. At the end of each term, two raffle tickets will be drawn and each child with a winning ticket will receive a book-related prize!
Thank you for your support.
Home Learning
- Regular reading (at least five times a week with an adult acknowledging this in the reading record)
- Spellings – your child may have an individual spelling list which is accessed through Google Classroom and updated frequently.
- Maths homework will also be set on Google Classroom. This homework will meet the requirements of the KIRF’s (Key Instant Recall Facts) for the term.
- Times Tables homework will also be set in order to develop the children’s knowledge of multiplication facts.
Some terms there is also a task-based homework – this will be posted on Google Classroom. If you find that homework is a struggle for your child then please contact us immediately.
If you have any questions or information to share with us relating to your child's class work or friendships then please email us at sapphire@alfriston.e-sussex.sch.uk. The emails are checked after school every day. If there is an urgent matter, please phone the school office.
PE
Our PE sessions are on Monday and Thursday afternoons. The children will need their P.E kits in school on those days but are advised to have them in school all week.
Planning, preparation and assessment time
The weekly planning, preparation and assessment time takes place on Wednesday afternoons when the children will be taught by Mrs Bliss.
