Home Reading at Glenroy West Primary School

Home reading is a wonderful way to nurture a love for reading in your child. It's an enjoyable activity where kids can practice their fluency, build confidence, learn about the world, and spark their imagination. Here’s how you can make the most of it:

The Importance of Home Reading:

• Reading at home every night sets a strong foundation, starting in Foundation and continuing as they become independent readers.
• We send home books at an independent level for your child, which means they should find them easier than their school books. This builds confidence and joy in reading.

Tips for Successful Home Reading:

• Consistency: Set a regular time for reading each night.
• Environment: Ensure a relaxed, happy atmosphere with no distractions.
• Encouragement: Give lots of praise and focus on enjoying the process rather than just progress.
• Engagement: Discuss the book before reading—look at the title, cover, and illustrations. Guess what the book might be about.
• Model Reading: Read to your child to show good reading habits and share your love of books.

Reading Strategies:

• Try again: Encourage your child to reread sentences for better understanding.
• Check: Ask, “Does it make sense?” and “Does the word look right?”
• Phonemic Awareness: Help your child recognise and manipulate the sounds in words. Play games that involve rhyming, segmenting, and blending sounds.
• Phonics: Encourage your child to decode words by sounding them out. Focus on letter-sound relationships and patterns.
• Fluency: Practice reading aloud to improve speed, accuracy, and expression. Repeated reading of familiar texts can help.
• Vocabulary: Introduce new words in context and discuss their meanings. Use the words in different sentences to reinforce understanding.

Comprehension Questions:

• “What do you think will happen next?”
• “Do the characters remind you of others?”
• “Does this story remind you of anything?”
• “How does the character feel?”
• “What’s your favourite part of the book?”
• “What are the main ideas or messages?”

Remember, the goal is to help your child enjoy reading. With your support, they will develop a lifelong love for books!

Happy reading!