How can I help my child at home?

Reading at home

The importance of family support for young readers

Developing a culture of reading doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t just happen in the classroom; family support is essential! The National Literacy Trust published a report in 2007 – Why Families Matter to Literacy – to show the impact that parents can have on their child’s motivation to learn. Their research found that there is ‘ample evidence that parents who promote reading as a valuable and worthwhile activity have children who are motivated to read for pleasure.’ The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) also found that parents who are actively involved in their child’s learning before school can boost their progress by up to 5 months. With this in mind, the government has set up a campaign called Hungry Little Minds to help parents support their child’s development. 

Reading with children

Many little things light up hungry little minds. Children take everything in, and even the smallest things you do with them can make a big difference.

They love it when you chat, play and read with them, even when they’re too young to understand everything. Whatever the time and wherever you are, you can turn almost anything into a game. And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for their first years in school.

Please click below on the attached article written by the Oxford University Press.  It outlines the importance of parents reading with their Key Stage 2 children (Year 3 to Year 6) and gives some top tips about how to do this.

https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/

Older children

Oak National Academy has opened a Virtual School Library in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.  Every week a popular children's author or illustrator will provide you with free books, exclusive videos and their top three recommended reads. This Virtual School Library helps to ensure that children have access to the magical world of stories all year round. Publishers, inspiring authors and illustrators have worked together to ensure that the books and activities in the Virtual School Library support children’s wellbeing through reading.

This website reached by clicking on the Book Trust link below lists suggested books for independent readers at Key Stage 2:

http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books/

https://library.thenational.academy/

The benefits of reading for pleasure

Research suggests that reading enjoyment is more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status and that reading for pleasure has emotional and social consequences. Other benefits to reading for pleasure include: text comprehension and grammar, positive reading attitudes, pleasure in reading in later life, increased general knowledge. Please click on the link for the latest Government Report Reading for Pleasure

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/

284286/reading_for_pleasure.pdf

Please look at your child's Class Page for more information about how you can support developing reading skills.

Attachments

 Reading at home

 Oxford University Press - The importance of Parents Reading with Y3-6 Children