We value reading at St. Michael’s and it is one of the most important things your child will learn to do at school. Being able to read and developing a love of books and reading will have a hugely positive impact on your child’s education, as well as bringing them lots of enjoyment.
A joy of reading and a love of books begins in our Nursery and Reception classes. Learning will often revolve around a particular book. In Reception, your child will develop comprehension skills and use phonics to decode words.
Good comprehension skills are vital in reading as they help children understand the meaning of the words, as well as supporting their vocabulary and knowledge of the world. In Reception, it is likely that children will be able to understand books and stories that are much more complicated than the books they can read by themselves, so most comprehension teaching will focus on children listening to books that are read to them and then talking about them.
Books at school
The books your child reads at school and brings home to read with you will follow the reading scheme set out below. They are structured, levelled sets of books that grow gradually more challenging over time. Children begin reading on a particular book band or level and once they are ready, they move up to the next book level. Our schemes are very picture based then phonic-based at the beginning.
Please try not to compare the book level your child is on with those of their classmates. Learning to read is not a race and children will be encouraged to read the same book more than once to develop their comprehension and to build confidence. Above all, your child needs to know that you value their efforts. Children learn to read gradually over time, not suddenly over night and it can take lots of practice and support from parents and teachers to become fluent. Remember to praise your child whatever level they are at.