Reading in school and at home

Reading is a vital foundation for all educational achievement. If a child cannot read fluently, they will struggle in all their subjects in school.

Good reading does not just mean being able to work out the words on the page. It means being able to understand those words, talk about the ideas in them, and be able to approach a wide range of text types confidently.

Nowadays, with so many distractions, it can be harder than ever to encourage children to spend time and effort practising their reading. Yet that is what we must do. Children who read at home for just 10 minutes a day are 13 times more likely to reach the expected level.

We all want our children to do the very best they can and eventually leave school well qualified to make choices for their whole lives.

Click here to go to our Love Reading page! 

https://www.suttoncourtenayprimary.co.uk/love-reading/

Why do we have a reading scheme?

We believe that all children have a right to encounter a range of high quality texts across different genres.  It is important that reading material is accessible while providing the right level of challenge.  Our reading scheme enables staff to encourage children to be adventurous on their reading journey.

What is the reading scheme like?

• EVERY child is involved, from the youngest to the oldest.
• The scheme consists of 20 levels, each divided into 5 boxes. These replace the old books bands. In each box there are 10-15 books to read – that’s a lot of books!
• Children don't always read every book in the box.  Sometimes they will have a spurt of progress and move up quickly.  Other times they need longer to consolidate a stage.
• The boxes build up progressively in difficulty and contain a range of text types, so there is always challenge.
• Your child works through the boxes, and staff carefully record what they have read and how they are doing.

Who will change your child’s book?

Only school staff change scheme reading books, because they are trained to know what each child needs next to develop their reading.

How will staff decide which box to put them on?

There are a range of things to consider.  It isn't just your child's ability to decode the words.  They need to be able to understand the deeper meanings of the text.  Children need to be able to talk confidently about the books they are reading.

What does your child bring home?

A plastic folder (to keep everything clean and dry) containing:

• A book from our scheme
• A yellow school reading record for you to write in

The folder must return to school every day

What do you need to do at home?

• Make time for reading for at least 10 minutes every day
• Record the reading your child has done in the yellow reading record.

How can you help with reading?

• Get into a good routine with reading. Try to do it at the same time each day, so your child expects it.
• Make it clear this is important time. Turn off distractions such as the television and tablets.
• Make time to talk to your child about what they are reading.