Helping Your Child to Read in School

At Fleet Wood Lane School, we are committed to providing your child with quality reading experiences throughout the school day in order to strengthen our commitment to reading, respond to feedback we have received from parents and to bring reading at Fleet in line with current guidelines from the National Curriculum.

Your child will continue to receive ‘stage’ reading books until the class teacher assesses that they are ready to go on to a ‘free reader’. This is usually around Stage 10.

If your child is on ‘stage’ reading then they will bring home two books per week. Your child’s reading books will be changed on a weekly basis and only on the nominated day for their class (this day will be displayed on your child’s learning sheet and also on the school website). We will endeavour to ensure that your child will always have the same book change day, but on occasions this may need to be changed in light of school trips, enrichment days etc. Your child will continue to be heard reading in school on a minimum of two sessions throughout a week (by the class teacher, classroom assistant, parent volunteer or reading buddy) and this will be recorded in their blue record book.

We ask that you read the books your child receives with your child (your child does not have to read the whole book(s) in one sitting!) and record this in their blue record book. We would also encourage you to discuss the books with your child, asking them questions about what they have read and their thoughts on the text. We are also very interested in any other reading that your child does, especially if they have been able to read words that they have been practising in their stage reading books – please let us know in their blue record books!

Once your child progresses to a ‘free reader’ they will be encouraged to choose their own books based on their personal reading interests. They will still read to school staff, but this will also be a time to reflect on the text answering more in-depth comprehension questions or looking at authorial style.

I would like to assure you that your child will still receive quality reading experiences throughout each school day that may include but is not limited to:

• Guided reading – children reading a text at or slightly beyond their level in a small group, discussing the structures of the text, learning to comprehend and developing research and interpretation skills.
• Phonics and spelling sessions – developing word level knowledge needed in all aspects of the curriculum.
• Reading for pleasure – all classrooms have a dedicated reading space where children can explore different text types, encouraging reading for everyday life.
• Story reading in classrooms – children have the opportunity to listen to quality texts read to them to foster a love of reading
• Displays in the classroom and around school – word and sentence exposure.
• Reading during lessons – children are consistently exposed to word, sentence and text during every lesson using our Interactive Whiteboards and other teaching materials.
• Visiting the School Library – the school library is open to children every Tuesday and Thursday break time to borrow a book of their choice. We encourage children to make an independent choice to come and use this service and have active year 6 librarians to encourage and support younger children if they choose to access this opportunity.

If you would like to discuss the changes to the home reading system or any other aspect of the reading curriculum please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher in the first instance.